




























.-■''^ V'*“» s ' / % *••'•' ^ 

■VSlP /\ ^JgS:* /\ 

,., %'”'*V*.-.. v '••*' 0 *°.‘-. %'“‘ J' .«■»• \'•■ v\ 

rfo,- o 4* ^ C *W22»^„ ° /f* *\j£S$W* ^ C v ** 

^ :4f»: «-o« :im&- ~ A -^“*- •*• * - 


y o v .‘MftM* ^*0' 

^o *o vv 

I 0 ° A® ^f> 41 * ' 1 * ^ °<fr * °"° 


ay ^ ay •<► <«* -rwi** ay & * <r^> v 

«0 c> 'o, ,.* A <?\ * tv*' <9. *’«>•»'* A <f. * 4 *G^ <3, 'o. h * 

jf m x. t e ^ e 0 N 9 * r\^ $ i» *^q «^ o 0 * 9 + •■d^. *^q 

* O * -^tv k ^ "'r' Cj f O • -j^SNs. <* T f, i O A 

^ . *>*■- A om'^M.V* ^ -'^ _4 K A 







"bt 1 


j. 0 *^ 


% 7 ^* .0 "s- ‘T^T' «.[> o , 74 ^. ■) “ 5 . «.(• C' . 7 ^* n 0 

.fr -» * o, A , * • • » ^ 4 <y -* ® o* ^ A 4 * • * /-. c\ 4 <y »’'•«< 

^ A **«^;9„* a ^ a-v a a. yj#whZ+ ^ a-o- 


W 



* A^ * 
\r>G • 


va v 'V'V vv 

„«r* . 

<v */7Vi* 'G^ A *<..»’ ,-0' 

" ® -» *<{> A , 1 » a ^ 4 V' c° N 0 * "<£» A » «■» * * H} A v e o » o 

sS>v * "P f, y^yffTT^, t vb> .A * <<*■ T. Ci y^>JY?7 ^-.■» O JT’ • ~ <v ' 

' ^ ^ ^ .*«^1V. ^ 0 <i .‘VpP-7*.. ' 



^o< 


A°* 



^ "A • %K][\^?S>O v x 0 j)9 <7 ^. c 

* —V V®-/ v* 

0 V »!/!'♦ e> Ar »'‘ 0 ' *> 

> ^ ♦VSS&f* ^ A® - *>W/h> ^ 

• °S Hi; 

A ^ "WOT* •* 

,/ ^ °y<fV > v ■ 

.V Vfv, . # A. + 



^ ^ * 


* , 1 



o • » 


A* V ^ 

^ <*^ 0“ \i 


o v 




y / 

' «? ....,. o 

> o «■ . r» CP 


o \0 TV 

°a* **° 'V* 4 '®^*'^ v Hu * 0 "°' J a u ' '•»’• & 

%\ % ? c\ <p" ^ s> ^ a 0 ‘ , 




,g v t o 

. ■*, f 0 ^ ,.-^ % 

* /i C 0 



o o I 



;• •. 

* **b A % c»"% 

O a"®' »-t-^Nv *P 

A ^ o *7^. a>^ 

^ .. °°<.*''^‘ -'O 0 “V •♦.,,-’*.y V'® " , 



aV«\ 

”* aV . 

4 x V V* . ^ * <L V '* * ^ A x ' - j. n,. 

• A < v O ^tvT 4 .Cr 'o. * * A <* *'.-. * 

<y o»% \s> A «,»•»»<, A v © o »»„ \$> 

w- • _ r i^\ ..-r > r‘ y .0 P^./vyt^ ■* ^f-, .A • _c J v < ^_<* ^ 





a°* :aiK5»; Avv :w^o 

^‘^•V %w/ \WA/ \9/ 

<S. A , * * ® /■ ■ c' ? f«o^ ^ A ,t ** a cv <y^ «»* °«. v A ** 

O •A A> .‘^V. V A 4 .’aVa’ '^, ^ .v%t?/k"« ^ 

r. W ri#S' *# 4WA : ^ . 

k * a.a’ ^ ^ ^ .v ^ ’X^Sps* <$ % °. 

^ 'o.* 1 * A vr.« ( «G^ Hi, '°*>* s£> <> ^t ;* 4 <G^ Hu *° ,k 






H< 3 fc 


\yfy/ 

yy ,t« 0( , 1/ s s*« 

# .*A%#/>r- •%.. .* 



■». A?' 

vv • 




•’ov 4 


J. 0 -^ 



s . . ._„ w 

S' * aV*^* 

? y % ^ 

A <. ♦-V.* 4 «G 

jV „»"% .fA .. 1 ' * 




° ^ 

- c^V 0 

% * / ^ °u ^ „ , 

y s3 'O o A * A 

r AV- . V ' » ^ © 

% %r ^0° ♦>}j^% ° jjT / 


G v ♦W^L" ^ ^ c v y^/mZ-* °o 

5 »$*• A 

^ V 

o jp v^. "Z'yZZMyp > <£* ^ 

C %**'°^* $ 9 ° ^ .. °^ %<, "° 0 ^?° 

'■♦ <o v f«°<>-• v **cv «<y f ’* 4 

+«* :SSk'. * 

- 'll* 



<\ ,. t 4 ,G V o. 'o.»* / 

* ° ^ .« l ' 8 •» Ho yy 



o v 

^5 Hti jP a 

^ ‘' •T-' * ’ C ^. g> *' 0 '* 0 ° * < ' / ‘' 

A ^ v‘c 7 . yy ** *°* 

• ..^ a '’J#£7hZ+ *^a a*®' *■-' 

0 vx .<v * f A^i • ^ A * 





A O ^ .. 

y -'J^.X 


r o V 



Cy> 


0 * t * t J 1 f^ 


0 * 1 . 


• 4 \V*^** 

7 # ^ 

* O 

A * 1 A M 


7 °* * 

\/ V* 

V ,^‘V* ’ 

W V ; 

VA. - 



o Ap ♦ 

« 


. ; * 

* 0 ^ 

OM o’ y> ^ "•i’* *v 

♦. a<4 P v "> ^ ‘ sV - 


’o « A 


kyS'y \W V®-/ \^/ %* 5 ^*V > 










































THE 


CALIFORNIA IRRIGATED 
FARM PROBLEM 


M. L. REQUA & H T. CORY 



vrehVM 

INDEX 

Page 

Foreword . 1 

Letters from C. J. Blanchard and E. J. Wickson. 2 

The "Back to the Land" problem. 5 

Index to authors quoted. 7 

Chapter I - Probable Future Population of California.. 9 

Chapter II - California - General Statement. 11 

Chapter III - California - Markets and Production.... 32 

Chapter IV - Sacramento Valley - Earl}' Efforts 

at Development. 62 

Chapter V - Irrigation in Sacramento Valley. 74 

Chapter VI - Reclamation of Sacramento Valley. 90 

Chapter VII - Plan of Development. 98 

Chapter VIII - Economical Farm Management Costs 

and Returns. 116 

Appendix No. I - Excerpts from report by F. H. 

Newell, then Director of the 
U. S. Reclamation Service, of 
conferences held in 1912 . 155 

Appendix No. II - Excerpts from statement by F. H 

Newell, then Director of the 
U. S. Reclamation Service, on 
capital required by an irriga¬ 
tion farmer and size of farm units.. 175 















X 3 C!!/" 


l 4 ;..... tn OWB'IO’i 

$ .nosjIoiW .1* 3 h n£ fncrfcoelSI . T, .0 moiTt a-iaJJei 


b6; )i. j. a^OriJjjfi Qj xsbn! 


, . ,no yin ' 






St 


Sc 


K 






Be 

















• 




le^qjorfO 









. i 


e tJ 




. 

, • 


'• •: 






ofc xiijaeqq/- 
































































































The contents of this hook have been prepared jointly by 


the undersigned. It is, in considerable part, a compilation 
from authorities referred to and embodies the results of the 
authors' investigations extending over a period of several 
years. The conclusions reached are as follows: 


1st. California of all states offers the greatest future 
possibilities in irrigated farming. 

2nd. Increase of population and wealth in California is 
largely dependent upon irrigation. 

3rd. Northern California is equal, if not superior, to 
Southern California in point of productiveness and 
variety of corps. 

4th. Land selling in Northern California today for $50. 
to $75. per acre is in every way equal to land in 
Southern California that is selling for from $200. 
to $400. per acre. 

5th. Northern California has many natural advantages not 
enjoyed by Southern California and vastly greater 
irrigable acreage. 

6 th. The greatest profit without risk is to be obtained 
by farming the land on a large scale and selling 
only after development has been completed, in small 
tracts fully improved, to men of proven ability for 
a small cash payment with the balance deferred over 
a long period of years. 


M. L. REQUA 
H. T. CORY 


WASHINGTON, D. C. 
MARCH t. 1919 


- 1 - 


















































































































L ETTERS OF CU_ BLANCHARD, 
STATISTICIAN t UNITED STATES RECLAMATION SERVICE 

and of 

DR. EM Jjl WICKSON , 

EMERITUS PROFESS OR OF H ORTICULTURE AND 
FORMER DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
BERKE LEY. CALI FORNIA , 


Washington, D, C., Jan. 3, 1919 


Mr, H. T. Cory, 

Nevada Bank Building, 
San Francisco, Cal, 

Dear Sir: 


I have read carefully the report prepared joint¬ 
ly by you and Mr. Requa. It is the most comprehensive and 
in my opinion, the best statement of irrigation in Cal¬ 
ifornia I have read. 

Of especial interest and value are the conclu¬ 
sions reached by you as to the best method of promoting 
the sale of lands held in large bodies by private com¬ 
panies. I fully concur with you in your recommendation 
that large tracts be prepared for cultivation, houses 

erected, civic centers established, and roads laid out in 
• • 

advance to colonisation. 


For some time to come, as I see 


























! 



T. 


( 









it, the greatest demand for homes by the desirable class 
of settlers will be for lands which are either prepared 
for cultivation or actually in crop. The vicissitudes of 
pioneering are now so well understood that the homeseekers 
are avoiding them. "Let the Company do it" appears to 
express the general view of the new comers.., 

So much important and valuable data is contained 
in your report that it should be made available for wide 
distribution. 

Cordially yours, 

(Signed) C. J. BLANCHARD, 
Statistician. 


Berkeley, Cal., Nov. 30, 1918. 


Mr* Mark L. Requa, 

San Francisco, Cal. 

My dear Sir: 

I have read carefully the manuscript volume en¬ 
titled "Irrigation in California" referring especially to 
tracts in the Sacramento Valley available for irrigation 
development and crop production. I am familiar, from per¬ 
sonal observation and knowledge of their agricultural 
history, with the lands described in the volume. The 
description of the suitability of the lands for the pro¬ 
ductions contemplated impress me as carefully drawn and 
the enterprises outlined are, from an agricultural point 




. ' * 




































. 














(. 





• •' 








. 






• Jb 








' 
















■ 












■ - ■ 




















C' ■i ■ 


. 












( 














of view, clearly practicable. I have also closely con¬ 
sidered the estimates of volumes, cost and values of 
products attainable on these lands by irrigation and am 
sure they are well within the actual results of experience 
upon well-farmed lands in the several lines of production 
which are included* 

Perhaps the most surprising feature in the 
situation is that in view of the high prices of land in¬ 
dicated by sales in the different parts of the coast, there 
should be such areas of good land purchasable at low price 
in the very center of California. It is surprising and is 
explained by the condition of land holding peculiar to 
California where large tracts, which came into private 
ownership by grant or pioneer purchases from grantees, 
have been held with dog-in-the-manger persistence for 
decades by those who have neither capital nor enterprise 
for development. These original owners having died or 
become superannuated and the lands themselves having in 

many cases become incumbered because slack farming did 

\ 

not afford satisfactory income, their present owners must 
sell and can sell only to those who can command capital 
enough to finance the improvements required to put the 
lands into full production since the lands in their 
present condition do not favor intensive farming and are 
incapable of sale in sma.ll parcels. This being the case, 
there arises the large purchasers’ opportunity for in¬ 
vestment and improvement with the "unearned increment" 
wholly to be earned thereby. So far as these opportuni- 


















•* 
















. 






. 


































A 




































* 

• 


• 

























. 











ties exist, I "believe money can now be invested in good 
California land with water attached, with a better prospect 
for great and quick returns than ever before in the history 
of the State. 

Very respectfully, 

(Signed) E. J. WICKSON. 

"THE BACK TO THE LAND PROBLEM : 

The President in one of his present-tour speeches 
discussed the cityward tendency that is depopulating the 
agricultural regions in a tone that seemed to imply that 
education and agitation could turn back the tide. He left 
out of account the chief obstacle that presents itself to 
city men of small means or no means who want to get back *: 
to the land. Their chief obstacle is the lack of capital. 

At the root of the great national problem detail¬ 
ed so impressively by the recently published census figures 
on agriculture, lies the broad fact of corporate monopoly 
and that centralization of capital which makes the pro¬ 
jecting of all small enterprises increasingly difficult. 

The value of bare farm lands, without buildings, 
was more than doubled during the last decade. It increas- 

• 4 

ed by 117.4 per cent. During this period the population 
of the country increased about 50 per cent faster than the 
area of cultivated lands. Thus the economic advantage of 
going into the farming business - for anybody who has the 
capital to make a start - is the plainest fact of contempor 
ary social life. 












c. ; • ■ . 















* 




















» 








!»• 

























« 

. 







* 

• • 











.. 

. 



... 

- ?• • 







: ■ 













* ' 



































- 























. 

' 


' 







. 













































• 

.. 


■ 







% 


; 



; 

• 








. ' : 










- 



• 






■v 



• 









. 

• .. 







* 














' 


■ 














This fact is well known. Yet the farming 
"business languishes and shrivels. The reason is not 
sentimental. For sentiment is all on the side of rural 
independence in exchange for the servitude of factory and 
office. The truth is that multitudes of people would cut 
and run from the cities within a week if they had the money 
to finance a farm. 

Here is the real difficulty. It ought to be 
faced by publicists, financiers and philanthropists*” 

(San Francisco Examiner, 

October 5th., 1911.) 



















N 


< 

















INDEX OF AUTHORITIES QUOTED: 


Because of the extensive quotations and to avoid 
large use of footnotes, the following numerals heading .par¬ 
agraphs in this report are used to indicate quotations 
from publications corresponding thereto as follows: 


1 . 


Q 


» • 


^ • 


4. 


5 . 


6 . 


7 * 


"Irrigation in California" by F.W* Roeding, 
Irrigation Manager, being Bulletin 237 of the 
Office of Experiment Stations, United States 
Department of Agriculture, prepared under the 
direction of Dr.. Samuel Fortier, Chief or Irri¬ 
gation Investigation. Government Print, Wash¬ 
ington, May 4, 1911. 61;-pp. 1 pi. 

"Irrigation in the Sacramento Valley, Califor¬ 
nia" by Dr. Samuel Fortier, Chief of Irrigation 
investigations, being Bulletin 207 of the Office • 
of Experiment Stations, United States Department 
of Agriculture. Government Print, Washington, 
March 15, 1909. 99 pp. 1 pi. 

"Storage Reservoirs on Stony Creek, California", 
by Burt Cole, being Water Supply & Irrigation 
Paper No. 88 of the United States Geological 
Survey, Department of the Interior# Government 
Print, Washington, 1903. S3 pp* 15 pis. 

"Soil Survey of the Woodland Area, California", 
by Morris, Warner, Westover and Ferguson, being 
Advance Sheets - Field Operations of the Bureau 
of Soils, 1909, of the United States Department 
of Agriculture. Government Print, Washington, 
January 31, 1911. 57 pp. 2 maps. 

"Soil Survey of the Colusa Area, California", by 
Lapham, Sweet, Strahorn and Holmes, being Advance 
Sheets - Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 
1907 of the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, Government Print, Washington, January 9, 
1909. 50 pp* 3 maps. 

"California Resources and Possibilities", by the 
Calif ornia Development Bo -rd. California State 
Printing Office, Sacramento. Issues for 1911 to 
1918 inclusive. 

"Irrigation Institutions", by El wood Mead, C. 

Dr. Eng. Macmillan Co., New York, 1903, 
xi i 392 pp. 


- 7 - 













» ' J 











In addition, many bulletins and other publica¬ 
tions of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in its 
various branches; the Agricultural College and the 
Experiment Station, University of California; the reports 
of California State Boards of Equalisation, Agriculture, 
etc.; publications of the various branches of the U. S* 
Geological Survey; and numerous other authorities have 
been freely drawn upon. 

Special acknowledgment is made for the assis¬ 
tance rendered by Dr. E. J. Dickson, former Dean of the 
College of Agriculture, University of California, for 
many data furnished and valuable suggestions and cri¬ 
ticisms* Prof. E. W. Major, formerly of the Experiment¬ 
al Farm>University of California, Davis, California; 

Ur. Frank A, Adams, in charge of irrigation investigations 
in the State of California, Office Experiment Station, 

U. S, Department of Agriculture; and numerous other 
authorities and experts who have also rendered extremely 
valuable assistance in many ways. To all these the 
writers wish to extend their sincere appreciation. 


- 8 - 
















< 


























































CHAPTER I. 


PROBABLE FUTURE POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA . ■ 

James J. Hill says in his hook ’’Highways of 
Progress": "Some irrigated lands in Egypt support 

900 persons to the square mile; in Italy over 800 and 
in India over 1300. It has been estimated that there 
are 60,000,000 acres of irrigable land in the United 
States.” 

In the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Val¬ 
ievs there are 6,000*000 acres, or one-tenth the total 
irrigable area of the United States, and if a density 
of population equal to the Italian density is assumed 
these two valleys would eventually support a rural 
population of 7,500*000 people. If to this is added 
the population of the central California cities, it 
is not difficult to conceive a total of 13,000,000 
as the ultimate population of Central California and 
perhaps twice this for the population of the state as 
a whole, or approximately nine times the present 
population. 

The density of population in all of Italy is 
about 300 per square mile. The same density applied 
to the area of California would mean a population of 





















< 





























47,000,000 but because of the large area of desert it 
is not likely that California will ever approach this 
latter figure. 


- 10 - 













, 

* 



















































































































CHAPTER II. 


CALIFORNIA - GENERAL STATEMENT, 

To appreciate intelligently the future agri¬ 
cultural and. horticultural possibilities of California, 
it is necessary to understand its climatic conditions; 
its soil, and the markets to be reached, 

SIZE , LATITUDE „ AND FARMING AREA 

Fronting on the Pacific Ocean, California 
extends from latitude 33°N. to latitude 42°N, or 
approximately 700 miles north and south, and has an 
average width of 200 miles east and west. The Coast 
Range of mountains along the sea coast interposes a 
barrier between the ocean and the great central valley 
and the Sierras beyond. These two mountain chains fur¬ 
nish the source of a large part of the water which will 
be used for the irrigation of the great valley« The 
accompanying relief map will give a clear idea of the 
topography of the State and show the dominating position 
which the great central valley commands in any calcula¬ 
tions of future growth of population and husbandry. 

California is next to the largest State in 
the Union and has an area of 158,360 square miles, Of 
this area one-fifth is calculated as being valley and 
foothill land susceptible of immediate cultivation. 

Other areas will be cultivated in time to come as 


- 11 - 































population increases, but for present purposes one- 
fifth of the area may be assumed as farming land; or 
30,£>70,000 acres* 

AREA PARTICULARLY CONSIDERED 


It is not the intention herein to deal with 
the entire state; the great Coast area of Southern Cal¬ 
ifornia will be but slightly touched upon; and the area 
between the Coast Range and the Ocean, while of great 
potential value, is relatively of quite small importance 
and will not be considered at all* This discussion 
deals principally with the area between San Francisco 
on the south and Red Bluff on the north - the great 


Sacramento Valley - consisting of 2,166,130 acres, 
the annual run-off tributary to which, according to 
J. B, Lippincott (formerly Supervising Engineer of the 
United States Reclamation Service) is sufficient to 
cover the area to a depth of 9 feet. 

To the south, the San Joaquin Valley, com¬ 


prising an area of 7,380,000 
is irrigable, offers numerous 
not been considered with the 
Sacramento Valley. 


acres, of which 4, 
opportunities but 
same detail as is 


800,000 
it is 
the 


SIZE COMPARED PI TP OTHER STATES 

Assuming the farm area of the State as one- 
fifth of the total area, or 31,873 square miles, it is 
equal to the combined areas of the States of Vermont, 
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island, 























y 


i 






; 


• 1 . 


0.7 


- •:> 



r .*■ 

■- »•- 











tne total population of which is 7,900,000* Belgium and 
the Netherlands have a total area of 34,000 square miles 
and a pre-war total population of nearly 14,000,000. 
Comparing the total area of the state it equals the 
states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, 
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and 
Indiana, the total population of which is 30,900,000. 
Jith a population per square mile of 15.3 in 1910, it 
compares with Rhode Island, 508; Massachusetts, 418; 

New Jersey, 337; New York, 191; Pennsylvania, 171; 

Ohio, 117 and Illinois 100* 

COMPARISON OF LATITUDE 

Roughly speaking, the State occupies the 
same latitude as the area bounded on the north by 
Rome, Italy, and on the south by Alexandria-, Egypt; 
its greatest elevation is Mount N'hitney, 14,503 feet; 
its greatest depression Death Valley, 437 feet below 
the sea level. Between these two extremes almost every 
conceivable variation of climate is encountered. In 
the high Sierras snow falls to a depth of 30 to 35 
feet on the level, and in Death Valley rain is almost 
unknown. The climate is so varied that it has been 
said without exaggeration: ^"Excepting strictly 
tropical products there appears to be nothing which is 
cultivated elsewhere in the world that will net 
flourish in some part of California," • 

*(Statesman Year Book 1909.) 


*-134 





















* 








{. . 











* 





Professor Hilgard says* 

"Taken as a whole, California corresponds in 
its climatic features and adaption to the Mediterranean 
region of Europe and Africa - a grand Riviera, with a 
partial background of the desert as well, where the 
date palm and the ostrich find a congenial home, and 
alluvial plains equalling in richness the famed delta 
of the Nile*" 

DIVERSITY CD PRODUCTS AND CLIMATIC CONDITI ONS 
(?) "No other state has as diversified products or 

as highly-priced farming land* The usual limitations 
imposed by latitude are here set aside* The leading 
irrigated districts of both northern and southern Cali¬ 
fornia have the unique distinction of being able to 
grow all the products of New England and Florida on the 
same acre of land.,, ^Date palms grow in the latitude of 
southern Illinois and oak and orange trees shade the 
same blue grass lawn* The summers are not too hot for 
the turf nor the winters too cold for the trees* In 
this favored country there is a wet and dry season* 
Winter is the season of rain and is the growing season 
for many of the products of the Temperate Zone* The 
rainless season comes during the period of harvest and 
fruitage* Grain ready for the reaper may stand un¬ 
injured for months* The curing of forage is attended 
with none of the uncertainty or risk of loss which 
attends this work in humid districts* It is hard to 


- 14 - 










t 


































* * 

> 


























estimate he,7 nuch a cloudless sky has done towards 
developing the fra it-growing industries of California* 
Especially is this true of the dried fruits; Peaches 
Prunes, Apricots, Nectarines, Raisins and Pigs could no¬ 
where else in this country he dried in the sun with the 
safety and cheapness that attends this work in Cal¬ 
ifornia* IT The same authority in a report to the U. S. 
Agricultural Department makes this remarkable statement 
regarding the Sacramento Valley: 

"Within a radius of five miles in the Sacramen¬ 


to "Valley I saw every product of the temperate and semi 
tropical zones which I could call to mind. Apples and 


Oranges grew side by side. 


as did Oak and Almond Trees, 


These were Olives from the South and Cherries from the 
north* A Date Palm seemed equally at home with an Al¬ 
falfa meadow; Figs and Tokay Grapes were apparently as 
much in their element as ’the fields of wheat and barley 
or the rows of Indian Corn, some of the stalks of which 
measured fifteen feet in height. All of these could have 
been grown on a single acre, and doubtless have been. 

It is a sinful waste of opportunities to continue using 
thousands of acres of this land to grow wheat, which 
steadily impoverishes the soil and robs the pockets of 
its owners. The irrigable lands of California are no 
place for bonanza (wheat) farms. They are far better 
suited to the creation of ten and twenty acre farms." 





















. 




# 





























•1 






















. 





. 










. 

. . 






. 

. 

" 




. . I 
















*. 

. 

. . . 












(?) "The resources of California soil and climate 

are unexcelled. A profitable crop of potatoes may be 
followed by a crop of corn the same season* Here on 
these lands you may prow e,ny thing that France, Italy, 
Florida or New England can produce. Here the farmer may 
have something to sell every month in the year, while 
living in a, healthful and agreeable climate where work 
is a pleasure and results sure." 

(3) "Cali fornia has always been considered a state 

of great possibilities. Her mines and her commerce and 
her climate and agriculture have long been the theme of 
inspiring pen-pictures. With a range of climate and 
soil and of mountain and valley more varied than that 
possessed by any of her sister states, with a geographi¬ 
cal position and commercial facilities naturally favor¬ 
able to intensive development, she has ranked as the 
leader in the upbuilding of western America. But while 
her gold and her seaports and her forests and commerce 
have made her position unique among the States, her 
future has always been bound up in her agriculture* Over 
half a century of development has shewn that if the 
agriculture is to develop even a fraction of what the 
state is capable it must be founded on irrigation." 

(l) "'Possibly nothing has attracted so much atten¬ 

tion to the state as its unusual and delightful climatic 
conditions and their general uniformity. The months r- 
June, July, August and September are rainless, practically 


- 16 - 

































r. 











without exception, while the rainy seasons extends from 
October to May, inclusive# The heaviest precipitation 
occurs between November and March, and the annual amount 
increases with the latitude and altitude#” 

"Thunder showers are rare except in the high 
elevation of the Sierras, where they occur occasionally 
throughout the summer# Winds of high velocity are very 
unusual, and such strong winds as do occur are confined 
as a rule to the spring months, except close to the 
coast, where trade winds from the ocean blow throughout 
the spring and summer months. Killing frosts in the 
lower altitudes are confined almost entirely to the 
winter months of December, January and February# Occas¬ 
ional heavy frosts have occured in the great agricultur¬ 
al sections in October and April, but an entire failure 
of crops from this cause is unknown." 

CLIMATE A RESOURCE 

(6) "The Calif ornia climate is by most people re¬ 

garded as an attraction rather than a resource, but it is 
a resource because by its influence has resulted the mar¬ 
velous diversity and extraordinary number of agricultur¬ 
al products, and often practically all such products 
profitably grown on the same body of land. It is a re¬ 
source, because a man*s labor here can be profitably em¬ 
ployed every day in the year, because there is no month 
when vegetation in some form is not growing, and because 
it furnishes ideal condition for the growth of irrigated 


- 17 - 

































































. V 


. 


























crops* There is no time in California when all Nature 
is at rest or plant life is sleeping. In the field, 
orchard, garden, factory, and in the mines, on the 
stock farm and in the dairy, every day is a day of pro¬ 
ductive labor. Shipping fresh and deciduous fruits is 
begun in LI ay and there is no cessation until December. 

In November shipping of citrus fruits is began and they 
overlap the deciduous fruits and thus continue the year 
through.” 

GROWTH OF POPULATION 

Roughly speaking the population of the United 
States has doubled in thirty-five years. In the early 
part of the 19th century the rate was slightly more rapid. 

The table herewith shows the population in ten 


year periods and the 

increase per annum 

expressed in 

percentages, 

Table No. 1. 

Per cent 
Increase 


Year 

Population 

per annum 

1790 

3,939,214 


1800 

5,308,483 

3.51 

1810 

7,339,881 

3.64 

1830 

9,338,453 

3.31 

1830 

12,366,020 

3.35 

1840 

17,069,453 

3.27 

1850 

23,191,873 

3.59 

I860 

31,443,321 

3.56 

1870 

38,558,371 

2.36 

1880 

50,155,733 

3.01 

1890 

62,947,714 

2.55 

1900 

75,994,575 

2.07 

1910 

91,973,268 

2.10 


If we assume an average rate of only two per 


- 18 - 


































cent per annum for the next thirty years, the population 


in five 


year periods will be as follows: 




Table Ho. 2. 

Per cent 

. 



Increase 

Year 


Population 

per annum 

1915 


101,546,579 

2.0 

192C 


112,114,192 

2.0 

1925 


123,735,472 

2.0 

1930 


136,661,590 

2.0 

1935 


150,889,699 

2.0 

1940 


166,o98,o62 

a 4 J 

The increas 

e in the population 

of California 

and the Paci 

fic Coast 

States has been much more rapid. 

California increased 

1900-1310, 60 per ce 

nt; Oregon 

62 per cent; 

Washington 120 per cent and 

all three com- 

bined 73 per 

cent. 

• 


If we assume 

the rates as indica 

ted in the table 

herewith, th 

e populat 

ion of California by 

five year 

periods will 

be: 

Table ho. 3. 


Per 

cent 



Rate of 

Increase 

Year 

Population 



1910 

3,377,549 


33 

1915 

3,272,140 


30 

1920 

4,253,782 


28 

1925 

5,444,841 


26 

1930 

6,860,500 


24 

1935 

8,507,020 


22 

1940 

10,373,564 


Assuming for the Pacific Coast, i,e, California, 


Oregon, Washington, an average growth at the same rate, 
# 

the increase in five year periods will be. 


- 19 - 



























































t . 


•v : 

.. i . . 

















Per cent 
fate of Increase 


Table No* 4. 


Population 


Year 



1910 

4,192,214 

33 

1915 

5,575,645 

30 

1920 

7,243,339 

28 

1925 

9,437,874 

26 

1930 

11,891,721 

24 

1935 

14,735,734 

32 

1940 

17,989,795 


The reason for belief in future growth may be 
summed up as follows I 

1* Completion of the Panama Canal* 

2. Desire of many people to escape the rigor¬ 
ous eastern winters* 

3. Opportunities afforded by irrigated farming* 

4. The fact that Northern California has 
practically all the natural advantages of Southern Cali¬ 
fornia and some additional ones as well. 

It is inevitable that the tremendous develop-* 
ment in Southern California must be duplicated, but on a 
far larger scale since there is a vastly greater area of 
good land, as fine or better climate, unlimited water 
for irrigation, and water transportation on the Sacra¬ 
mento and San Joaquin rivers, in the one case to Red 
Bluff 224 miles from San Francisco, and in the other to 
Fresno 207 miles from San Franoisco. To utilise to best 
advantage these water ways a great deal of money has been 
and is being spent in improving navigation. The railways 
recognizing the situation may make rates so low that 
river traffic will not be profitable. In either case 


- 20 - 























































■ 






the benefits from water transportation will be secured. 

growth of population compared to agricultural growth 


Such increases in population - general and 
local - demand additional sources of food supplies over 
those now existing. It is a striking fact that the 
number of cattle in the United States has decreased more 
than 5,600,000 in 1910, as compeared with 1900, while 
population increased 31 per cent and farming area only 
4.8 per cent. 

With population increasing much faster than the 
farming area is being developed, further rise in the 
price of farm products is inevitable. Further advances 
in the cost of living must be expected with growing un¬ 
rest and discontent. There is today nothing more im¬ 
portant, nothing more worthy of serious thought and 
vigorous action by men of large -means, than anticipating 
the situation and creating conditions whereby thousands 
of families may find homes and thousands of mouths may 
be fed. 

The growth and wealth of the nation is founded 

on its harvests; its very life is dependent upon the 

crops of its fields, and yet the late Professor Shaler, 

of Harvard, has this to say of our trusteeship: 

"Of all the sinful wasters of man’s inheritance 
on the earth - and all are in this regard 
sinners - the very worst are the people of 
America. 

Little or nothing has been done in the past to 


- 31 - 



























9 


tr 


l 


■ 

















i r . 












conserve the soil or reap the greatest reward from its 
tillage. We are confronted with the pitiful spectacle of 
a wheat yield approximating 14 bushels per acre as com¬ 
pared with 33 in England and 38 in Germany* 

Our frontiers have vanished, and there are no 
longer new fields to be pioneered except in the South¬ 
eastern States. We are rapidly approaching the time when 
the highest type of intensive and scientific cultivation 
must replace the wasteful methods of the past in order 
not only that the farmer may secure satisfactory remun¬ 
eration for his labor but also that we may be able to 
find food for the added millions of our population in 
the years to come. 

The same ability that has successfully guided 
the great corporations must aid in solving the problem; 
the same financial institutions that have poured money 
into other channels of commercial effort must in the 
final analysis supply the capital that will make possible 
the proper development of the farm. Not the farm as we 
know it today, but the large business enterprise farming 
thousands of acres in the most efficient and scientific 
manner, with accurate cost data, and a distributing 
system adequate to care properly for the products pro¬ 
duced* From a purely investment basis there can be 
nothing more attractive. If the highest types of soil 
plus irrigation and good management cannot pay a satis¬ 
factory return upon the investment, nothing can. 


- 33 - 


























\ 




■ • 
















•••■• . . : 

































' 


, 












*• 




' 

' 


. 

. ■ 




' 






. ■: 




. 


■ . e . 


■ 








* 


- 


















. 

V 

.. . 


. ' 























COMPARISON , NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 


All the products grown in Southern California 
may be equally well grown in the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin valleys* If there are any advantages of soil 
and climate, they rest with the great valley. The case 
has been tersely summed up in these words: 

( 2 ) ’’The difference between Northern and Southern 

California is Irrigation." 

California has always been handicapped because 
of its remoteness from centers of population. Cost of 
passage from Europe is more than double as much as to 
New York, with the result that, comparatively speaking, 

1 

California has received but few immigrants* Labor is 
scarce, and wages abnormally high. In point of fact. 
Southern California 1 s astounding accretion of population 
has so far come almost exclusively from the United States, 
every section apparently furnishing its pro rata. The 
influx has been American citizens of the better class 
who had been planning for years to come to California to 
live ♦ 

RELATIVE GROUTH OF NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 

A careful examination of detailed population 
figures for the entire state clearly show that the 
excessive population increase is not really of Califor¬ 
nia, as a whole, but of Southern California - Ventura, 

Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego 


- 23 - 



































.— 













i ' 























































and Imperial Counties. 


The increase of population from 1900 to 1910 
of Southern California was 154 per cent; of the balance 
of the State only 38 per cent. The development of a 
territory, of course, cannot be measured exclusively by 
the growth in population, for there are several .other 
important factors* Chief of these is assessed valuation 
building permits, bank clearings, and postal receipts of 
the important cities; and while there are other minor 
elements these may be safely tak&n as typical and 
characteristic of what is generally known as regional 
development. These figures show that, unless something 
in the nature of a widespread calamity or long continued 
war occurs to change the respective rates of growth, in 
six years, or by 1935, Southern California will comprise 
one-half of the State in all essentia,! respects except 
superficial area. 


This condition of affairs exists in spite of 
the fact that the agricultural and horticultural possi¬ 
bilities of Southern California are quite overshadowed 
by those of the remainder of the State and particularly 
the Central Valley, consisting of the Sa.cramento and 
Sa,n Joaquin valleys, The total irrigated area in 
Southern California is somewhat more than 300,000 acres, 
exclusive of Imperial Valley (which will ultimately con¬ 
tain approximately 600,000 acres in the United States 
and 250,000 acres in Mexico); or a total south cf 







































































































































Tehachapi of 1,150,000 acres, including land in Mexico* 

On the other hand, the area which will sooner or later 
be brought under intensive cultivation in the Sacramento 
Valley alone is in excess of 2,500,000 acres. Consequent¬ 
ly, the agricultural lands of all Southern California, 
including Imperial Valley in California- and Mexico, is 
less than one-half of the irrigable area of the Sacra¬ 
mento Valley alone; or, omitting Imperial Valley, the 
ratio is 1 to 8* The soil of the southern counties is, 
to say the least, no more fertile; the water supply is 
by comparison pitifully deficient; the climatic con¬ 
ditions, even with respect to citrus fruits, inferior, 
and particularly with respect to the, at least six 
weeks, later date of ripening an! marketing of oranges. 

Land prices based on essentially equal fertil¬ 
ity, net return, etc., are from two to four times as 
high in Southern California as in the remainder of the 
State. 

This relative cheapness of northern land was 
the thing depended upon by many people as insuring 
immediate diversion of the incoming tide of people from 
Southern California into the Central Valley. 

RECENT IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT IN SACRAMENTO VALLEY 

Based upon there relative values, many com¬ 
panies within the last few years have attempted to 
de*velope immense areas of land in the San Joaquin and 
Sacramento Valleys, and to sell the land in small tracts 


- 25 - 







































to home seekers. Six companies alone bought outriglv, 
planned, and more or less completed, throughly satis¬ 
factory irrigation and flood protection systems for 
482,000 acres. That is to say, six companies alone 
planned to own outright, and do the necessary engineer 
ing work in a thoroughly satisfactory fashion to make 
available for intensive cultivation, an area 60 per cent 
greater than the entire irrigated area of Southern Cal¬ 
ifornia exclusive of Imperial Valley. In addition to 
these corporations there are hundreds of smaller pro¬ 
jects under way, ranging from a few hundred to several 
thousand acres of land. In most cases the irrigation • 
and protective works are being constructed in a 
thorough manner. Speaking roughly, at least 900,000 
acres of land can be safely, thoroughly, efficiently, 
and intensively cultivated when all of the large and 
small development projects in the Central Valley now 
ready or well under 7/ay are completed. This is an area 
at least three times that of the territory which has as 
yet contributed any important part to Southern Calif¬ 
ornia's development. 

MARKETING AND HANDLING IRRIGABLE PROPERTY 

It is obvious that a very considerable number 
of years must elapse before all of this land can be 
marketed. Herein is the weak link in the chain. It 
has been assumed that this land 'would be taken with the 
same rapidity as land in Southern California. This is 


~ 26 - 











































I 

#• 































































' 








* 




















not possible - Northern California, is trving to do on 
barren land what Southern California is doing o±* highly 
improved land. Until wroves of oranges, lemons, olives 
and kindred products are actually in-bearing; until the 
transportation facilities have been brought up to a high 
standard; until the man-creared attractions can be made 
equally as great, Northern California can not hope to 
secure any large percentage of the class of people now 
flocking to Southern California. The eastern man with 
sufficient money to live upon will not pioneer, - he does 
not have to. The sooner this fact is recognized, the 
nearer will be the solution of the situation. Relative¬ 
ly, every few people are coming to California who have 
extremely small means and are seeking homes where they 
may with a small amount of capital and by enduring pri¬ 
vations and hardships achieve within a decade a modest 
homestead. On the contrary, the majority come on a 
vacation, become interested, and plan sooner or later to 
make their homes in the Golden State. When they return 
for that purpose it is net with the slightest idea of 
pioneering but rather with the intention of living in 
greater comfort than in their old homes# 


FACTORS ATTRACTING HOUESEEKERS 

Such people are not only attracted by the . 
climate but by the presence of old friends, by the type 
of civilization to which they have been accustomed, by 
newer and more attractive social institutions, transport* 






























tation facilities, convenience and modernity of architec¬ 
ture, inexpensive residence districts in cities, o.nd 
modern community facilities - not by the possibility 
that an Eden may be created but by an earthly para.dise 
t hat alr eady exists. 

If such a class of population is to be secured 
the stage must be set for them, with producing groves, 
good roads, and a finished development, rather than 
undeveloped areas and future possibilities painted in 
rosy colors by the land agent. Northern California land 
companies hoped to accomplish in five years or ten years 
the results attained in Southern California in thirty 
years; and, worst of all to attain this through the 
efforts of small farmers with scarcely enough money to 
make the initial payment on 30 acres of land and build 
a cheap habitation, hoping for the rest to come from 
the soil. This simply can not be done. Particularly 
is this true because of the tremendous area capable of 
intensive cultivation* 

The development of Southern California can 
most emphatically be reproduced in the Sacramento Valley, 
but it cannot be accomplished without the investment of 
the proper amount of money, under common sense super¬ 
vision, to make the region so attractive as to compete 
with Southern California. 

PROBABLE INFLUENCE OF THE PANAMA CANAL 

Experience has been universal that of the 


- 38 - 






























































■ 






i 



























• 






• . 






. .. 

- ■/ : 




■ 


•; 





































































original'home seeker settling on irrigated projects 
during the past twenty years relatively few succeed# 

Such unsatisfactory results are partly because new 
comers do not understand the soil., climatic conditions, 
or irrigation; and more largely to the fact that they 
have entirely insufficient capital# Making a home on 
an irrigated pro.ject is not a poor man 1 s task# Con¬ 
sequently it is fatuitous to expect that a large number 
of purchasers of Central California farms ready for in¬ 
tensive cultivation will be brought in from Europe 
through the Panama Canal after the world war; such 
people will have neither the experience or knowledge 
of California agriculture and horticulture nor the 
capital necessary to make good. There will be eventually 
a large influx through the canal, no doubt; not of 
capitalists, however, but of farm and domestic laborers, 
with insufficient money to farm irrigated land - probably 
with far less than 0500 total cash capital on the average# 
An irrigated farm is distinctly not a poor 
man's operation. Properly developed and in bearing, the 
total cost including land, water, and improvements, 
would be not far from $500 per acre and up. A 30- 
acre farm would cost $10,000, and the average 
European 'who has $10,000, would hardly come to Cal¬ 
ifornia, certainly not in large numbers* 


- 39 - 










































CP.-'Q- .T~.J ■ TI.w' IN S/Chi ~ENTO VALLEY 

California is the only State in the Union 
wherein the identical varieties of Grapes which yield 
the orld * s commercial products of Raisins and Wines 
are cultivated, and people from Southern France, Spa,in, 
Ite.ly ana Northern Africa rill find climatic conditions 
identical with their present homes# The date Palm of 
Africa is being grown on a commercial scale in the 
Coachella and Imperial Valley; and Cotton, Oranges, 
Lemons, Figs, Olives and Wine Grapes in widely 
separated localities* 

CONCLUSIONS 

Summed up in a few words the following con- 
elusions seem clearly indicated: 

1st: It is possible to secure in more or 

less compact bodies large tracts of land that are sus- 
ceptible of irrigation at prices ranging from 040 to 
$100 per acre* 

nd: Water in superabundance is ave.ilable 

for irrigating the land, and at a very reasonable cost 
per acre; providing, and only providing, it is done on a 
la.rge scale* This, as will be pointed out later, is the 
real crux of the situation and the reason for the great 
opportunity which exists. 

3rd: hand so developed is worth from $150 

to $300 per acre based upon net return. 


30 - 






























































































- 


































4th: Under proper care and cultivation this 

land will return a net profit of 10 per cent on from 
$200 to $1000 per acre, depending upon the crop planted 
and the period elapsing after planting. 

5th: The old method of buying large ranches 

and sub-dividing them is becoming less and less satis- 
factory year by year. It requires something more than 
the surveyor T s chain and a wagon lead of stakes plus 
an advertising campaign to increase the intrinsic value 
of land* 

6th: To assure absolute and unquestioned 

success it is necessary to: 

(a) Own the land. 

(b) Own the water. 

(c) Properly prepare the land for irrigation. 

(d) Cultivate and farm it in large units in 
order to pay interest on the investment or until it is 
sold in small tracts on long time payments to the 
farmer or settler seeking a home and a livelihood. 


- 31 - 







































• k 
























* 





























































i 



CHAPTER III. 


CALIFORNIA - rlARKETS AND PRODUCTION. 


The markets for California products may be 
divided into four classes: 

I# Looal Consumption. 

2. Eastern shipments by rail to points from 
Nevada to New England. 

3. European shipments. 

4. Oriental shipments. 


LOCAL CONSUMPTION 

San Francisco and the territory surrounding it 
within a radius of 50 miles contains a population approx¬ 
imating 850,000. 


San Francisco 

Oakland 

Berkeley 

Alameda 

San Jose 

Richmond 

San Rafael 

The§e cities 


Table No. 5. 

1910 

416,000. 

150,000. 

40,000. 

23,000. 

28,000. 

7,000. 

6 , 000 . 

670,000. 

ill front on San 


1900 

343,000. 
66 , 000 . 
13,000. 
16,000. 
21 , 000 . 
nothing 
3,800. 

462,800. 
Francisco Bay 


and. with the exception of San Jose, which is 50 miles 


from San Francisco, might be considered as one community. 


The greatest distance from San Francisco to any of them 
is not in excess of 15 miles. The total population of 


- 32 - 












































/ 










' 









' 










the bay counties was as 


follows: 


'able 


No • 6 


1910 1900 


Alam 

CD 


a r> 


*v gr rJ 

xe 

,000 r 

4-> 

ft 

O 

O 

ra Co 

s ta 

si 

r\ “ r\ 

* W w, Vj 0 

13 

,000. 

Mari 

n 


35 

,000 - 

15 

,000. 

San 

Franc 

isco 

416 

.000 c 

345 

, U o 0. 

San 

ha t e o 


35 

,000. 

9 

mi- -O 

,000. 

Sant 

a Cl a 

ra 

83 

,000. 

60 

,000. 



« 

836 

,000. 

585 

,000. 


The State as a whole increased from 1,435,000 
to' 3,377,000 or 60 per cent. The Sacramento and San 
Joaquin Valleys are the natural source of the future 


great supply of produce that 
the cities clustering around 


will be required to feed 
San Francisco bay. Trans¬ 


portation by river steamers and barges is a fixed 
industry, extending at present as far north as Colusa, 
on the Sacramento, and south on the San Joaquin to 
Stockton. A glance at the relief map of the State will 


show the relation of San Francisco to this ares, and its 
corresponding advantages from the standpoint of trans¬ 
portation . 


While it is true that the Bay counties them¬ 
selves do raise large quantities of produce they can not 
compete with the great central valleys owing in large 
measure to the lack of water for irrigation. 

Shipments of certain California products find 
their way to every state in the west as well as to more 
remote localities. In raisins, olives, olive oil, and 


- 33 - 




















dates California is without a competitor. In oranges, 
lemons and grape fruit Florida, and to a slight extent 
Arizona, are the only competing states. Forty per cent 
of w all commercial oranges of the world are produced in 
California* 

It is not possible from figures at hand to 
segregate shipments to eastern and foreign localities, 
but the annexed tables will afford an idea of total 
shipments over a considerable period of years and 
clearly show the steady growth of the industry. 
















































DRIED FRUITS 


Nearly all kinds of deciduous fruits are dried for the market, but prunes, peaches and apricots are the 
most important. The dried output of all, except figs, varies largely according to the season, the demand of the 

Eastern market for fresh fruit, and the prices offered by the canners. * 

Table No. 7 


OUTPUT OF DRIED FRUITS NOT INCLUDING PRUNES 





AND 

RAISINS 1900 - 

1916, IN 

TONS 

Year 

Peaches 

Apricots 

Apples 

Pear s 

Plums 

Nectarines 

1900 

l’? ,170 

14,000 

3,150 

7,275 

1,950 

435 

1901 

14.725 

7,776 

3,225 

3,290 

1,725 

317 

19C2 

25^210 

18,762 

4,875 

2,625 

1,280 

455 

1903 

16,075 

10,500 

1,800 

2,325 

1,435 

317 

1904 

11,500 

•^,500 

1,500 

1,750 

1,150 

210 

1905 

17,500 

19,250 

3,250 

1,750 

930 

185 

1906 

11,250 

3,250 

2,750 

3,500 

1,100 

170 

1907 

12,000 

1,500 

1,500 

500 

750 

137 

1903 

22,500 

19,000 

3,000 

1,200 

1,000 

350 

1509 

20,000 

14,500 

2,500 

1,250 

500 

375 

1910 

25,000 

16,000 

3,100 

1,000 

375 

250 

1911 

14,000 

11,000 

3,500 

- 

— 

— 

1912 

30,000 

20.000 

3,600 

(includes Plums 

and 


1913 

23,000 

10,500 

1,900 

nectarines) 



1914 

3', ,000 

20,500 

4,500 




1915 

32,000 

19,500 

4,000 




1916 

28,000 

10,900 

4,500 




Average 







seven¬ 







teen 







years 

20,996 

13,260 

3,097 





Figs 

2,000 

3,260 

3,625 

3,000 

2,850 

3,625 

3,375 

3,000 

3,000 

3.500 
3,775 

5.500 
5,000 
5,000 

6.500 
8,600 
6,700 


4,250 


* 


Most of the statistical information in this chapter has been taken from the reports of the 


Development Board given as No. 6 in the list of authorities quoted Page-7. 


Total Tons 


46,220 
34,498 
57,020 
35,657 
27,630 
46,683 
25,595 
19,575 
51,550 
42,950 
49,850 
34,000 
58,600 
40,400 

68,500 

64.100 

50.100 


California 


-35 



















































; >• 


■ •• 



-• 




. 



- ff" __ 




- 

.. 









• ; ' 




' • » 

. 


. - - 

• 

















































Table No. 8 


Kinds: 

Green Leciduous 

1895 

fruits 

66,254 

Citrus Fruits 

115,825 

Dried Fruits 

61,306 

Raisins 

46,390 

Nuts and Olives 

3,234 

Canned Fruits and 

Vegetables 

41,395 

Raw vegetables 

• • O O © ft 

Wine and Brandy 

• fc o c o o 

TOTALS 

334,487 

Total cars of 

10 tons of Fruit 

) 

j45,257 
) 

Vegetables, Wine 
and Brandy 


1904 

Green Deciduous 
fruits 

73,983 

Citrus Fruits 

385,747 

Dried Fruits 

156,769 

Raisins 

54,134 

Nuts and Olives 

9,810 

Canned Fruits and 

Vegetables 

86,077 

Raw vegetables 

o O c O o o 

Wine and Brandy 

• coo CO 

TOTALS 

766,523 

) 

) 

)92,052 

> # 

Total cars of 

10 tons of fruit 
vegetables, wine 
and brandy 


x 

0 


+ 


GENERAL SUMMARY AND COMPARATIVE TABI.E OF SHIPMENTS OUT OF STATES 


BY RAIL OF FRUITS,Y'INE,BRANDY AND VEGETi 

(tons of 2 


1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

57,638 

72,350 

69,732 

96,943 

99,156 

98,547 

180,658 

131,916 

48,522 

75,159 

76,662 

86,925 

34,434 

39,065 

47,796 

36,008 

4,972 

5,808 

5,815 

6,608 

45,546 

73,464 

52,219 

75,240 

• c © O © © 

• o © o o • 

« o o o o © 

o ft o © o © 

O 4 » O O A 

o © O O O © 

• ft a o o © 

1 C c o o • 

290,271 

364,396 

432,885 

433,642 

38,254 

48,072 

56,149 

55,482 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

115,083 

113,679 

106,066 

161,224 

454,083 

383,418 

413,696 

399,094 

118,479 

112,176 

184,821 

133,846 

32,634 

42,457 

X 

x29,601 

7,610 

5,131 

7,198 

10,887 

91,877 

77,626 

104,624 

085,135 

93*500 

• 40*00 



70,758 

c ® * © o o 

» « o » « « 

mo • mm • * 


819,769 

734,490 

816,406 

984,046 


;BLES FOR TWENTY-TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS. 
,000 pounds) 


1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

91,176 

96,673 

100,390 

101,198 

226,546 

323,871 

225,668 

299,623 

90,052 

106,987 

151,944 

149,531 

36,047 

43,314 

47,575 

39,963 

6,518 

8 ,462 

10,918 

9,377 

75,556 

83,229 

80,634 

94,204 

-o o o o © © 

• « e « o « 

9 » O © © • 


O. « * o • o 

* «. o & a e 

e • a o « • 


525,898 

659,537 

617,133 

693,898 

66,797 

83,731 

77,538 

88,084 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

203,275 

204,876 

187,884 

167,603 

475,959 

446,384 

580,799 

479,099 

154,756 

128,892 

114,483 

194.175 

61,584 

67,278 

# 46,513 

— 

12,438 

12,308 

12,751 

15,399 

071,223 

073,746 

083.258 

89.946 

86*014 

78.829 

130,736 

129,660 

75,656 

82,144 

83,952 

93,250 

,140,905 

1,094,457 

1,240,378 

1,169,132 


99.400 


90,577 


95,299 


98,603 


120,690 109,456 116,267 116&13 


nprts- balance included as dried fruits 

ai Y shipments of raisins by rail and by sea are included in dried flruits in 1907 and somo in ’08 
Includes shipments of canned vegetables 

Including Western Pacific which made no returns previous years 














































} 











•> 





i 












Table No. 8, 

(Continued ) 





1913 + 

1914 + 

1915 4 

1916 4 

Green Deciduous 

Fruits 

186,393 

212,806 

264,155 

311,471 

Citrus Fruits 


238,222 

561,136 

561,087 

539*328 

Dried Fruits 


111*783 

93,014 

109,730 

174*988 

Raisans 


39 s 279 

47., 688 

71,023 

80,083* 

Nuts and Olives 


11,611 

9,622 

18,766 

22,040 

Canned Fruits 


106,998 

65,245 

115,178 

362,895 

Vegetables 


147,277 

247,512 

331,941 

351,295 

Raw Vegetables 


83,012 

53,085 

52,276 

148,550 

Wine and Brandy 


e » « o o o a s 




Total cars of 

) 





10 tons of fruit 

) 

92,457 

129,010 

158,415 

201,122 

vegetables, wine 

) 





and brandy 

) 






* Exclusive of the Santa Fe Railway as it included raisins in reporting dried fruit 
shipments and kept no seperate record* 


-37 

















































































PRUNES 


Of dried 


portance to raisins. 
throughout the state; 


fruits, prunes come next in im- 
Prunes are grown in many counties 
the largest center of this industry 


is the Santa Clara Valley. A good many prunes are grown 
in the San Joaquin‘and Sacramento Valleys and also in 
Centra Costa and Sonoma Counties# 


years. 


The output varies largely in different 

X *— •> v 


Table No. 9. 


CALIFORNIA PRUNE OUTPUT. 


Year: 

Tons: 

Vpp -p * 

Tons: 

1397 

48,840 

1907 

40,000 

1398 

45,210 

1908 

35,000 

1899 

53,363 

1909 

77,500 

1900 

87,000 

1910 

45,000 

1901 

40,800 

1911 

95,000 

1902 

98,dOO 

1912 

102,500 

1903 

82,500 

1913 

48,000 

1904 

67,500 

1914 

56,000 

1905 

37,500 

1915 

93,500 

1906 

90,000 

1916 

68,500 




- 38 - 

















> A ' 




* 































• .... 











































The canning industry exhibits the following for three years: 


1916 


Table No. 10 
C ANNED FRUITS - CASES 


«6«0»QOOA* 


Apples... . 
Apricots 
Blackberries. . 
Cherries 


© « c «r o o 


t p o c c 


9 C 


> O O O O O c 


ocecoco© 

Grapes ..«»«o.«. 
Loganberries. ........... • 

Pear s........»..«.»«••«•• 

Peaches, free.° 
Peaches, cling. « 

PluSSe . . o . . o ...... o .....« 

Raspberries. 

Strawberries........... » • 

Other fruits..o.«...»o« o ® 


No. 2%-, 3 and 
smaller (all 
grades) 

15,820 
937,800 
35,845 
140,560 
80,965 
26,865 

930,550 
838,150 

2,105,550 
61,005 
9,325 
11,025 
20,340 


TOTAL FRUITS 


YEAR 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 


5,213,800 


Gallons (all 
grades) num¬ 
ber of dozens 

98,852%- 
194,985 
63,292%- 
14,112-| 
10 .,082%- 
15,282%- 
51,130 
182,395 
245,920 
11,872% 
4,557% 
1,507% 
10 H 097j 

904,087%- 


1915 
No. 2%-, 3 and 
smaller (all 
grades) 

3,050 

703,550 
41,595 
155,660 
66,480 
11,913 
749,200 
502,875 
1,891,100 
66,585 
3,430 
4,997 
_7 .475 


4,207,930 


n 


Table No 

PRODUCTION DURING IAST SIXTE EN YEARS 
P ” YEAR 

OAbEb n qnq 

2,837,982 


2,410,407 

2,928,515 

3,010,210 

3,450,037 

3,612,660 

3,480,469 

5,242,078 


1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 


1914 


Gallons (all 

No . 2%-, 3 and 

Gallons (all 

grades) num- 

smaller (all 

grades) num- 

ber of dozens 

grades) 

ber of dozens 

59,235 

9,185 

84,225 

138,820 

949,475 

192,880 

64,170 

24,080 

59,790 

13,535 

97,295 

8,930 

5,565 

43,210 

6,475 

13,323 

10,900 

5,000 

39,215 

749,425 

56,315 

164,500 

664,050 

204,075 

258,275 

2,325,275 

296,380 

14,515 

89,400 

21,040 

815 

3,890 

580 

2,820 

16,140 

1,995 

6„980 

17,305 

11.560 

761,618 

5,019,630 

949,245 



CASES 

© c o e © ©O' 

3,561,173 

ooooo© ©OO 

4,774,156 

o o tec** o« 

4,835,404 

*©eoe©e©o 

5,463,730 

oo o • o c©cc 

4,852,090 

4 oooeoco © 

6,918,120 


5,731,166 

% oe©© -oeo 

7,021,975 


- 39 - 






























< 















THE VINEYARD 


California is easily the most important factor 
in viticulture in the United States, and grape culture 
is one of the most widespread industries in the State; 

356',009 acres, according to the State Board of Equalisa¬ 
tion, beins: devoted to the industry in the soring of 1913; 

.J A. \..3 

of which 162,939 acres are in wine grapes; 137,130 acres 
in raisin grapes, and 63,940 acres in table grapes. 

All varieties of European grapes are included, 
besides many California developments therefrom. 

The annual return to the grower of the grape 
product, including table grapes, dried grapes and raisins, 
and wine and brandy, aggregates over $20,000,000. The 
shipments of table grapes out of the State by rail for 
1916 amounted to 9,903 carloads. 

RAISINS 

The center of the raisin industry is in Fresno 
County, although raisins are produced in other parts of 
the State. The crop varies from year to year as the 
appended table shows; that for 1915 and 1916 far exceeds 


the average of the six 


preceding 

( 

CALIFORNIA 


T "K "*1 a 

Ca- -j 


year s: 
io. 

RAISIN 


12 . ) 

CROP 


Year 

Tons 

Year 

Tons 

1897 

46,852 

1907 

30,000 

1838 

40,335 

1908 

30,000 

1899 

35,784 

1909 

70,000 

1900 

47,167 

1910 

58.000 

1901 

37,125 

1911 

57,300 

1902 

54,375 

1912 

35,000 

1903 

60,000 

1913 

55,000 

1904 

37,500 

1914 

90,000 

1905 

43,750 

1915 

124,000 

1906 

47,500 

1916 

128,500 


- 40 - 































EIGHT COUNTIES WHERE CALIFORNIA RAISINS ARE PRODUCED 


Countv 

Fresno, 
Tulare, 
Kings, 
Colusa, 
Sutter, 

San Diego, 
Madera, 
Yolo, 


(Table No.. 13.) 

Acres in 1916. 

15,320. 

15,320. 

13,450. 

3,000. 

2,905. 

'2,S30« 

2,388♦ 
1,300. 


SEEDED RAISINS 

Fresno County is the center of the seeded 
raisin industry, where it originated* The following 
figures show the wonderful increase in this popular 


form of raisin during the last fourteen years: 

(Table No. 14.) 


Year 

Tons. 

Year 

Tons. 

1896 

700 

• 1906 

'24,000 

1897 

3,500 

1907 

26,000 

1898 

7,000 

1908 

24,000 

1899 

12,000 

1909 

28,000 

1900 

14,000 

1910 

31,500 

1901 

14,000 

1911 

33,000 

1902 

16,000 

1912 

35 , 500 

1903 

18,000 

1913 

3c,000 

1904 

18,000 

1914 

*0,000 

1905 

21,000 

1915 

45,000 



1916 

45,000 


(The above figures are only approximate♦) 


The production in 1911 of sweet wine was the 
greatest in the history of the industry by over 4,000,000 
gallons. The output of dry wine we,s well above the 


normal from 1907 to 


1912 


The 


champagne production in 


1916 was about 1,000,000 bottles. 


41 






















The following table shows the product of wine 


for the last 

twenty years. 



(Table No. 15.) 


Drv Wines 

Sweet Wines 

Brandv 

Gal s. 

Gal s« 

Gal s. 

38,736,400 

• 

5,137,500 

1,442,463 

10,750,000 

7,773,000 

1,250,000 

15,103,000 

8,330,000 

1,699,035 

16,737,360 

6,940,300 

3,256,513 

16,473,731 

6,270,300 

1,688,483 

38,334,146 

14,835,143 

fi ,534,173 

31,900,500 

13,670,356 

1,972.000 

15,589,343 

13,571,856 

4,430,839 

30,000,000 

10,700,000 

1,350,000 

36,000,000 

15,000,000 

1,345,000 

37,500,500 

15,500,000 

1,500,000 

33,500,000 

14,750,000 

1,730,000 

37,000,030 

18,000.000 

2,000,000 

37,500,000 

18,000,000 

2,500,000 

26,000,000 

33,280 044 

2,000,000 

23,500,000 

17,797,781 

1,739,533 

2c,000,000 

17.307,600 

1,395,403 

22,000,000 

16,630,213 

3,330,744 

31,571,000 

4,035,340 

2,513,286 

23,000,000 

13,262,475 

3,027,893 


1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 
1903 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 
1913 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 


(After 1904 brandy used in fortifying sweet 
wines not included.) 

California wines have a wide and growing 

# 

market. The railroad shipments go mainly to eastern 
points, while those by sea go to the four quarters of the 


world. 


FRESH AND CANNED VEC-S TABLES 

Fresh vegetable production of the state in 
1916 amounted to a large total. The vegetables grown 
in the central and northern parts of the state, with 
the exception of asparagus, are mainly consumed in the 


- 43 - 


















































• -M * 







- 



































home 


market, and shipments out of the state in 1916 
were largely from the southern portion* 

(Table No. 16.) 


Kinds. 

Value 

Beans 

$19,144,000 

Chili Pepper 

* 875,000 

'Celery 

1,000,000 

Potatoes 

16,000,000 

Onions 

3,400,000 

Rice 

3,000,000 


$43,419,000 

Melons and Cantaloupes 

1,000,000 

Total 

$43,419,000 


The total shipment of fresh vegetables to 
Eastern markets was about 351,235 tons. 


- 43 - 


i 
























• 
























...V*. 


















Table No# 17 


CANNED VEGETABLES - CASES 


1916 1915 1914 



No, 2|r, 3 and 

Gallons (all 

No. 2-jjr, 3 and 

Gallons (all 

No. 2jr t 3 and 

Gallons (all 

VEGETABLES: 

smaller (all 

grades) num- 

smaller (all 

grades) num- 

smaller (all 

grades) num- 


grades) 

ber of dozens 

grades) 

ber of dozens 

grades) 

ber of dozens 

Asparagus 

975,700 

7,520 

790,900 

9,480 

762,035 

6,775 

Beans, String 

95,150 

14, mi- 

65,590 

16,515 

67,860 

9,205 

Peas 

195,410 

15,855 

167,935 

20,732 

149,320 

12,775 

Tomatoes 

2,067,800 

289,750 

1,021,325 

161,380 

1,680,950 

212,700 

Other vegetables 

152.725 

41.900 

93.400 

26.125 

103.855 

22,780 

Total vegetables 

3,486,785 

369,142-|- 

2,139,150 

234,032 

2,764,020 

264,235 




















7u 

<*• 

H * 


/ 



I 









I 



OLIVES AI7D NUTS , OLIVE OIL, ETC, 

Olive culture is one of the oldest fruit 
industries in the State. The first orchard was plant¬ 
ed. in San Diego in 1739, and that county is a large 
producer of olives and olive oil. There are large 
orchards in other counties, and every year adds to the 
number of trees. There are thirty-eight counties re¬ 
porting over 1,000 trees each, ranging from Shasta on the 
North to the Mexican line on the south. The number of 
trees, as reported by the State Board of Equalization, 
is about 834,939 in bearing. Riverside leads with 
108,480 bearing trees. At one hundred trees per acre, 
the total would equal 8,350 acres. 

The two largest olive groves in the State 
under one management are the Sylmar, near Los Angeles, 
of 1200 acres, and one near Porterville of 2000 acres* 


Statistics of this industry are difficult to 
obtain. Until recent years it has not been very attrac¬ 
tive from a remunerative point of view, but the removal 
of competition with adulterated oil by the Pure Food 
Regulations have given it a great impetus. The estimat¬ 
ed production for 1916 was 1,000,000 gallons of olive 
oil and 1,800,000 gallons of pickled olives. The con¬ 
sumption of pickled ripe olives is increasing rapidly, 
and it is but a matter of time until ripe olives become 
a staple food product. According to Prof. Jaffa, of the 
University of California, ripe olives are an ideal food. 


- 45 - 


















cont s-ininr enormou 3 

« 

e x tr ene1v palat able; 
to the green olives; 
quality, to be eaten 
to be nibbled. 


food values in small bulk, and being 
in these respects being far superior 
the one being a food of highest 
by the handful, the other a pickle 


During the year 1914-15 it appeared on the 
market in a form known as the dehydrated olive* In 1916 
still another form appeared under the name of the Greek 
Olive^ which is a ripe olive cured by a salt process 
similar to that used in Greece. Owing to the importation 
of this article being entirely cut off by the European 
v;ar there is a ready market among the Greek and Turkish 
residents of the United States, by whom it is largely 
consumed. 

The largest ripe olive packing plants in the 
world are located in Butte County, California. A process 
which enables ripe, -pickled olives to be shipped without 
liquid of any kind, thus saving freight charges and making 
them easier to handle, has recently been (-.evolved by the 
University of California* 

ALMONDS -AND WALNUTS 


The production of almonds and walnuts by years 
is shown in the following tables: 

(Table No- 18) 


Year 

Almonds 

Tons (3000 lbs.) 

Walnuts 

1895 

825 

2310 

1896 

1605 

4115 

1897 

2375 

3985 

1898 

450 

5$50 


- 46 - 

















(Table No 

, 18 oont’d) 


Year 

Almonds 

'Walnuts 

1899 

3320 

5530 

1900 

2740 

5430 

1901 

1560 

6910 

1902 

3270 

6530 

1903 

3200 

5500 

1904 

800 

7590 

1905 

2125 

5750 

1903 

900 

6125 

1907 

750 

8250 

• 1908 

2000 

8000 

1909 

1650 

7500 

1910 

2750 

8500 

1911 

1700 

12000 

1913 

3000 

9250 

1913 

1100 

11350 

1914 

3250 

8900 

1915 

3500 

14825 

1916 

3400 

12800 

At an e-verawe value 

of $300 per 

ton, the 


aggregate of these crops is $4,830*000 for 1916. 


SCIENTIFIC DAIRYING 


Scientific dairying has largely superseded the 
old methods in California, as the following table, show¬ 
ing the number of.pounds of butter produced in the State 
by the creamery method and the old method for seven years 


ending October 1, 1903, demonstrates: 


Year 


(Table No. 19.) 

Creamery Old 

hethod Method Totals 


1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 


10,097,323 

10,366,846. 

10,410,479 

13,735,814 

16,486,695 

19,017,513 

21,593,021 


21,508,117 

17,811,793 

13,280,549 

12,143,270 

12,296,134 

10,713,370 

9,935,741 


31,605‘,440 
28,678,439 
23,691,028 
24,869,084 
38,782,849 
39,730,882 
31,528,763 


Since 1902 the growth is indicated in the following 
exhibit: 


- 47 - 












I 






\ 

) 

/ 

















. 

■ . : 




(Table No* 20.) 

Year Pounds 


1903 .34,676,311 

1904 .35,635,909 

1905..41,961,047 

1906 .44,044,578 

1907 . .44,599,211 

1908 .48,469,585 

1909*.49,595,869 

1910 . .45,939,140 

1911 . 50,360,736 

1912 .54,940,886 

1913 .55,54 % 709 

1914 .59,286,460 

1915 . 67,549,409 

1916 ...70,030,174 

California is now well to the front as a dairy- 
state* The increase is mostly in counties where irriga¬ 
tion is practiced. 
























• t % 





• f 


i 









4 












(Table Ho. 21.) 

IRRIGATION AND DAIRYING 

As showing the effect of irrigation on the dairy interests the following exhibit from the reports of the State 
Dairy Bureau, giving the product of butter in pounds by principal counties, is instructive: 


Counties: 

Fresno 

Kings 

Ilerced 

Sacramento 

San Joaquin 

Stanislaus 

Tulare 

Yolo 

1905 

1,619,746 

1,099,400 

1,563,771 

1,508,293 

1,015,568 

1,564,749 

1,497,762 

631,185 

1906 

2,446,897 

1,677,272 

2,361,528 

1,617,633 

1,641,374 

2,759,582 

2,075,729 

1,387,210 

1910 

3,290,825 

3,218,036 

2,510,269 

1,102,012 

1,425,543 

4,363,296 

3,072,198 

1,103,114 

1911 

3,803,644 

3,552,542 

3,102,222 

1,405,054 

941,430 

5,166,515 

3,955,563 

1,096,716 

1915 

3,158,220 

3,811,477 

4,253,000 

1,737,511 

1,184,658 

9,973,320 

4,787,690 

1,091,496 

1916 

4,204,416 

3,960,949 

4,028,062 

1,422,051 

1,618,455 

9,980,021 

4,677,839 

1,241,083 

To tals 

10,700,474 

16,165,225 

20,085,293 

23,023,708 

29,997,372 

51,132,876 

Humboldt (non 

irrg.) 4,289,739 

4,235,927 

4,790,280 

5,238,382 

5,591,870 

5,588,604 

Imperial (absc 

>lutely dependent 







on irrigation) 


1,948,710 

2,885,941 

6,334,316 

6,780,552 

For 

years Humboldt County 

was considered the 

home of the Dairying 

Industry: because 

of the fogs 

and mists and 


excessive rains that drift in from the Pacific Ocean irrigation is there unnecessary. Since irrigation has been adopted 
in the valley counties they have rapidly come to the front as the above table shows and it is only a matter of a short tire 
ere numerous counties exceed Humboldt in dairy products. Notv/ithstanding this great increase California is. today receiving 
large quantities of butter, cheese, eggs and poultry from Eastern states, although these shipments are decreasing, and must 
ere long cease entirely. 


- 49 - 














* 
























4 











. i 













CHEESE PRODUCTION 

Although the Stats lias more than trebled in 
butter production in the last ten years, the cheese 
production has not kept pace therewith* 

Out of fifty-eight counties in the State,fifty- 
five produced cheese during the year as compared with 
twenty-four during the previous year. Monterey, Harin, 
Santa Clara, Ss.n Benito and Merced, in the order named, 
are the leading counties and produce more than one-third 
of the total out out of the State. Comnarinw the tote-1 s 
for the past twenty years, we have the following: 

(Table No* 23.) 


Year 

Pounds 


Year 

Pounds 

1897 

6,399,625 


1907 

5,o2S,942 

1898 

5,148,373 


1908 

6,163,514 

1899 

5,394,938 


1909 

5,931,194 

1900 

4,989,960 


1910 

4,648,348 

1901 

5,681,366 


1911 

4,580,495 

1902 

6,503,441 


1913 

4,785,617 

1903 

7,213,639 


1913 

5,600,972 

1904 

6,133,898 


1914 

6,016,815 

1905 

6,030,672 


1915 

6,349,775 

1906 

6,418,480 


1916 

7,745,124 

.L VALUE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS 

i 1916: 


Butter, 

70,030 

,174 

lbs. 

§19,181,264 

Cheese, 

7,745 

,134 

n 

1,203,592 

Condensed 

Milk, etc.18,610,236 " 

1,488,818 

Market Milk and 




Cream 

Consumed, 



14,000,000 

Calves Produced 




on Dairies 



2,500,000 

Skim Milk 

& Butter Milk 



1,750,000 

Cassin 

1 , 

864, 

317 

186,431 


§40,310,105 


- 50 - 































POULTRY INDUSTRY 


Poultry raising in California is a profitable 
industry* In a more or less practical way it has been 
carried on in all parts of the State, but in Sonoma, 
Sacramento, Colusa, Humboldt and San Benito Counties, 
a-nd to a less extent in some others, the latest scienti¬ 
fic methods are generally practiced with gratifying re¬ 
sults. The industry is constantly extending, as the 
demand for poultry products greatly exceeds the home 
supply. The Turkey-fs,rming, as it is called, is mainly 


in the grain districts where the fowls can 
ing by incubators prevails generally. The 
cubator fvictory in the world is in Petaluma 


range. Hatch- 
largest in- 
, and runs 


to full capacity most of the year* 


The average chicken ranch nea.r Petaluma con¬ 
sists of about five acres, upon which are placed 500 to 
5,000 hens. There are, of course, larger ranches which 
maintain 5,000 to 30,000 chickens. A person should have 
from £3,000 to £5,000 to equip a chicken ranch and get 
ready for a profitable business. In case of renting. 


however, about 


£l 


500 


is needed 


to 


start the prospective 


poultryman. The average profit on each hen is about 
£l per year. 


Notwithstanding the remarkable development of 
the poultry business at Petaluma and other places, the 
increase is not sufficient to meet the demands of the 
market* The rapidly expanding population of the State 








requires the importation of several million dozen eggs 
each year from Eastern points* and there is no immediate 
prospect of the home supply overtaking the market. This 
fact insures the success of all practical poultrymen who 
engage in the industry in California. 

Petaluma is the principal shipping point of 
Sonoma County, and the market business dene from that 
point, and its growth, is reflected in the following 
tables: 


(Table No.33.) 

SHIPMENTS OF EGGS AND POULTRY 
FROM PETALUMA. 


Year 


Eggs Dozen ■ Poultry Dozen 


190S 

1911 

1916 


4,354,301 

8,154,127 

13,101,512 


39,938 

80,553 

106,032 


The above figures represent actual shipments of 
eggs to market. It is but fair to say that over one and 
one-half million dozen eggs are produced, which are used 
for hatching and home consumption; these, added to the 
above, bring the total production of the Petaluma dis¬ 


trict up to near eight and one-half million dozen, or 
over 173*000,000 eggs. 

It is now a well known fact that chickens and 
turkeys thrive on alfalfa and need no other source of 
sustenance except possibly a little corn or wheat fed to 
them shortly before being shipped to market. Large flocks 
of chickens and turkeys oan thus be maintained on alfal¬ 


fa at the same time that it is being used to support 
















( 









/ 


























(Table Ho. 24.) 


FIELD CROPS-GRAIN. The folio-wing table from the records of the U. S. Department of Agriculture shows the yearly 


production of the four principal grain crops in the State since 1898 and of rye since 1907: 



\vhea b 

Barley 


Bushels 

Bushels 

Y^ar: 

60 lbs« 

48 lbs. 

1898 

12,403,700 

12,263,461 

1699 

29,666,666 

14,046,087 

1900 

20,933,333 

19,769,760 

1901 

28,751,500 

26,162,780 

1902 

18,759,490 

23,489,065 

1903 

14,880,990 

21,075,000 

1904 

10,895,216 

24,413,604 

1905 

5,560,360 

22,094,186 

1906 

8,333,330 

26,162,790 

1907 

10,833,330 

25,096,666 

1908 

11,680,000 

25,427,000 

1909 

11,550,000 

31,270,000 

1910 

17,100,000 

43,400,000 

1911 

8,640,000 

40,600,000 

1912 

6,273,000 

41,760,000 

1913 

4,200,000 

33,150,000 

1914 

6,800,000 

42,060,000 

1915 

7,040,000 

39,440,000 

1916 

5,600,000 

33,320,000 


Corn 

Oats 

Rye 

Bushels 

Bushels 

Bushels 

56 lbs. 

32 lbs. 

60 lbs. 

1,184,040 

1,943,304 


1,536,975 

1,845,787 


1,351,975 

1,477,771 


1,850,793 

4,887,374. 


1,839,150 

5,148,583 


1,777,162 

5,756,964 


1,350,000 

5,250,000 


1,204,000 

4,735,000 


1,100,000 

4,300,000 


1,100,000 

4,100,000 

1,250,200 

1,600,000 

6,700,000 

792,000 

1,740,000 

6,280,000 

* 842,000 

1,838,000 

8,325,000 

986,000 

1,836,000 

7,140,000 

136,000 

1,924,000 

7,800,000 

141,000 

1,815,000 

6,636,000 

120,000 

2,160,000 

7,700,000 

136,000 

2,624,000 

6,963,000 

112,000 

2,048,000 

6,500,000 

104,000 


-53 









.. 





f owl s 


cattle or hogs 
being the bugs 


a large part of the food of these 
and insects attracted by the growing crops* 


GRAIN CROPS 


The yield and values of the oereal crops sown 
for the harvest of 1911 and 1916 as given by the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, ere as follows! 

(Table Ho. 35.) 



1911: 



Bushels: 

Value: 

Wheat 

8,640,000 

7,603,000 

Barley 

40,600,000 

34,510,000 

Oats 

7,140,000 

4,313,000 

Rye 

136,000 

116,000 

Corn 

1,836,000 

1., 653., 000 


$ 48,094,000 



1916: 


Wheat 

5,600,000 

8,513,000 

Barley 

33,330,000 

31,654,000 

0 e„ts 

5,500,000 

4,680,000 

Rye 

104,000 

131,000 

Corn 

3,048,000 

3,540,000 
1 47,507,000 


HAY AND FORAGE CROP 

The hav crop of California is one of the most 
valuable agricultural products, being each year since 
1905 worth over y31,800,000. Alfalfa is increasing 
yearly in acreage and value.. From three to eight cut¬ 
tings may be made yearly on irrigated ground, with an 
aggregate yield of from four to twelve tons to the acre. 




- 54 - 





















r 


















Estimates based on returns made by the county 
statisticians and others give the yield and value of the 
hay crop since 1905, as shown below: 

(Table lio• 36•) 


Yield: 


Value: 


1905 

1310 (grain & grass, hay & 

alfalfa) 

3,697,373 

§31,687,180 

3,786,250 

33,148,000 

1911 "■ 


43,332,000 

1312 

3,825,000 

53,403,000 

1915 

4,2o0,OCC 

47,376,000 

1916 

4,575,000 

55,125,000 


of Equali 
acres of 
yielded 1 
the Depar 


Returns of county assessors to the State Boa,rd 
zation credit the various counties with 862,534 
standing alfalfa, which from the several cutting 
,838,000 tons, which e,t the fa,rm value used by 
tmsnt of Agriculture, £9.60 per ton, would be 


worth §17,544,800. 

BEANS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS 

California is famous for the production of 
dried beans, onions, potatoes, etc., and they add much 
to the resources of the State. From the "'Crop Reporter" 
and leading authorities in handling these products the 
following figures are ..obtained of product and values 


for 1913: 


Product: 

Lima Beans 
Pink Beans 
Small White Beans 
Other Varieties 


(Table No. 27 .) 

Quantity: 

1,815,000 
325,000 
750,000 
350 ,000 


Farm Value at 
Harvest Time: 

§8,349,000 

4.207.500 

5.737.500 
850,000 

§19,144,000 


Total Beans 


3,640,000 






















































































• to* 



(Table No- 27 cont l d.) 


Sugar Beets 
Onicns 

Potatoes, Irish 
Potatoes, Sweet 
Field and Garden Seeds 


HOP CROP 


Quantity! 


1,439,000 
1,400,000 
10,575,000 
800X00 


F arm V alue at 
Harvest Tine : 

9,367,160 
3,400,000 
14,805,000 
1 , 200,000 
3,500X00 

$63,460,160 


The hop crop in California, as elsewhere, 
varies greatly from year to year, influenced mainly by 
market prospects. The croc of 1910, according to static- 
tics furnished the California Development Board, was 
71,511 bales of 185 pounds each, or 13,329,535 pounds. 
Sonoma e.nd Sacramento Counties lead in the production. 

(Table No. 28.) 


HOP PRODUCTION IN C/L IFO HIT IA 
1889 - 1916 


Year: 

Bales: 

Pounds: 

Year: 

Bales: 

Pounds: 

1889 

35,330 

6,517,550 

1903 

57,000 

10,545,000 

1890 

28,130 

5,204,050 

1304 

63,000 

11,655,000 

1891 

36,151 

6,687,935 

1905 


13,135,000 

1393 

39,800 

7,333,000 

1306 

108,000 

30,000,000 

1893 

51,400 

9,509,000 

1307 

90,000 

16,650,000 

1894 

67,500 

12,387,500 

1908 

63,300 

11,692,000 

1895 

52,000 

9,630,000 

1909 

69,683 

13,832,230 

1896 

3 5,000 

6,475,000 

1910 

71,511 

13,339,535 

1397 

45,000 

8,335,000 

1911 

93,981 

17,786,485 

1398 

44,000 

8,140,000 

1913 

117,770 

21,198,600 

1899 

59,000 

11 ,210,000 

1913 

130,000 

33,200,000 

1900 

38,000 

7,220,000 

1914 

100,000 

18,500,000 

1901 

48,000 

9,120,000 

1915 

115,000 

31,375,000 

1902 

53,500 

10,165,000 

1916 

116,500 

21,5o3,500 


BEET SUGAR 


The best sugar industry of the State grows 


yearly in importance. 


±n 


1909 


oallioi 


nia produced over 


- 56 - 

































































38 per cent of the total product of the United States 


and was second only to Colorado in output. In 1910 
with an increased acreage and very favorable growing 
conditions > it surpassed all previous records and took 
the first place, with a production of 144,746 tons. 
Michigan, the nearest competitor, followed with 112,100 
tons, and Colorado, the late leader, came third with 
98,560 tons. The beet sugar production for the whole 
United States for 1910 was 498,400 tons, of which 
California produced nearly 30 per cent. 

In 1911-12 the acreage in California was about 


101,000 the yield over 1,000,000 tons of beets and the 
output 162,338.4 short tons of sugar, leaving it in the 
le&d of the ’beet sugar producing states with 35 per cent 
of the total production of the United States 572,415 tons. 

For the campaign 1915-16 California had 
144,300 acres, and produced 1,439,000 tons of beets, 
with a sugar output of 236,383 tons. 

The existing factories and their locations are 


as follows: 

Spreckels Sugar Co., Spreckels, Monterey County. 
Spreckels Sugar Co., Watsonville, Santa Cruz County* 
American Beet Sugar Co., Oxnard, Ventura County. 
American Beet Sugar Co., Chino, San Bernardino County. 
Alameda Sugar Co., Alvarado, Alameda County. 

Union Sugar Co., Eetteravia, Santa Barbara County. 

Los Alamitos Sugar Co., Los Alarnitos, Orange County. 
Southern California Sugar Co., Santa Ana, Orange County. 
Sacramento Valley Sugar Co., Hamilton, Glenn County. 

San Joaquin Valley Sugar Co., Visalia, Tulare County. 
Pacific Sugar Co., Corcoran, Kings County. 

Anaheim Sugar Co., Anaheim, Orange County. 

Holly Sugar Co., Huntington Beach, Orange County. 




- 57 - 












'• •. ... r f 




»..* *. « 


"{ . 







California was 


the pioneer in the beet susrar 


industry of the country* The first plant operated in the 
United States was the one at Alvarado, Alameda County* 

The plant at Spreckels, in Monterey County, is the larg¬ 
est beet sugar factory in the world. * 

The a/erage yield of sugar beets per acre and 
the average percentage of sugar in California beets is 
greater than in Colorado or Michigan. In some parts of 


California the soil 
for the cultivation 


and climatic conditions are superior 
of sugar beets. The large average 


percentage of sunlight is probably the main factor in the 
results obtained. 


The growth of the industry in California is 
shown in the'following exhibit for twenty-five years, 
beginning with 1888, that being the first year that 
statistics were obtained and published by the State 
Board of Trade* 

(Table No. 29.) 

BEET SUGAR PRODUCTION OF CALIFORNIA 
Tons of 2,000 pounds. 


Year: 

Tons: 

Year: 

Tons: 

1888 

1,910 

1903 

65,360 

1889 

2,457 

1904 

52,147 

1890 

3,351 

1905 

64,351 

1891 

5,224 

1906 

94,285 

1892 

10,761 

1907 

72,889 

1893 

17,420 

1908 

93,613 

1894 

13,615 

1909 

126,621 

1895 

23,827 

1310 

144,747 

1896 

31,315 

1911 

163,538 

1897 

35,280 

1912 

155,432 

1898 

18,036 

1913 

169,258 

1899 

42,100 

1914 

168,792 

1900 

30,319 

1915 

203,300 

1901 

68,700 

1916 

236,385 

1902 

73,761 




- 58 - 









SUMMARY 


Summary of the farm values of products of the 
soil for 1916, marketed by the producer and for the most 
part shipped out of the State. Consumption by producers 
not included except in case of animals slaughtered for 
consumption by rural population. 

Compiled for data gathered from transportation 
companies and other authoritative sources. 

(Table Ho. 30.) 

Value To tal Values 


Orchard Products: 


Fresh deciduous fruits, in¬ 
cluding apples 
Citrus Fruits 
Dried Fruits, not includ¬ 
ing prunes or raisins 
Prunes 


$33,000,000 

40,000,000 

11 , 000,000 

3,000,000 


Conned fruits and vegetablesOO,000,000 


Olives and olive oil 
Nuts 

Vineyard Products : 

Table grapes 
Raisins 

Wine and Brandy 

Carden Products , fresh 

Dairy and Poultry Products: 

Dairy Products. 

Poultry Products 
Honey, Wax, etc. 

Farm Products : 

Bariey 
Wheat 


3,500,000 

5.000,000 


11 , 000,000 

15,000,000 

14,500,000 


40,310,105 
30,000,000 
1 ,300,000 


31,854,000 

8,513,000 




$115,500,000 


40,500,000 

13,000,000 


61,510,105 


40,166,000 


Forward ..... $357,676,105 


- 59 - 






































































- 









Total Value 


Brought forward.*.. 0357,676,105 

P arm Produc to (Cont'd) 


Oats 

Corn, rve 
Rice 

Grain, grass, hay and 
Hops 

Sugar Beets 

Other Field Crons 

Potatoes 
Potatoes, sweet 
Beans 
Onions 

Seeds and sundry other 
Melons 
Cotton 

Far m Animals and Products 

Wool on Farms 
Livestock 

Sundry Others, not included 


4,630,000 

2,661,000 

3,544,000 

al f alf a 

55,125,000 
3,000,000 

85,COO,000 94,010,000 


14,805,000 

960,000 

20,875,000 

4.000,000 

3,000,000 

4,000,000 

750 ,000 48,390,000 

(other than dairy) 

2 , 200,000 

57,000,000 39,200,000 

above 


Nursery and Florist Products 5,000,000 

Cider, vinegar, etc, 2,500 >000 7,500 ,000 


$458., 776,105 


The census returns for 1910 gives total im¬ 
proved area as 11,380,000 acres. On this basis the 
yield per acre would thus be approximately 040. 

The census of 1910 gives the following 


comparisons as to farm lands in California! 

Number of farms, 87,670. Increase in ten years 
15,128. Average size 318 acres. Total acres 27,883,000 
of which 11,380,000 acres are improved. These figures 


- 60 - 







































































































































4 






























. 

' 













include, of course, grazing lands, mountain slopes, and 
all areas not government land, and include a great deal 
of land that in this report is not considered farming 
land. Total value of land and buildings 1910, 

$1,448,560,000 an increase over 1900 of $ 740 ,647,000 
or 105 per cent. 

Average value of land and buildings 1910, 
$51.95; in 1900, $24.56; gain 112 per cent. Land alone 
was worth $42,19. i as against $23,56 in 1900, a gain of 
116 per cent. 

Total number of farms mortgaged, 36,370 or 
40 per cent. 

Expenditure for farm labor 1910, $49,375,000 
as compared with $25,845,000 in 1900, an increase of 
practically $3,000,000 per month or 92 per cent* 


- 61 - 





CHAPTER IV. 


SACRA MM TO I all iy" 

Early Efforts At Development 

SPANISH AND MEXICAN RULE 

(3) ’’During the nearly eighty years of Spanish 
and Mexican rule in California the Sacramento VaJLley 
was the abode of Indians, wild animals, and an 
occasional white trapper. Its transformation into 
cultivated fields was the work of Anglo-Saxons. 

Were it not for the large tracts of land on the 
borders of the interior streams, which were given 
away under both Spanish and Mexican rule, little 
would remain to indicate the influence of that 
period. Neither the upper portion of the great 
central plain, known later as the Sacramento Valley, 
nor the lower portion now designated the San Joaquin 
Valley, received any benefit agriculturally from the 
chain of Missions which were established along the 
coast from San Diego on the south to San Francisco 
on the north. As late as 1850, a forked limb of a 
tree shod with a piece of iron and drawn by oxen • 
hitched by the horns served the purpose of a plow. 

The harrow was a bundle of brush, the reaper a sickle 













• 0 . 


•. ‘.'i. 












1 .* 






or a knife, and the thrashing machine the hoofs of 
young horses." 

EARLY LAND GRANTS 

(3) "From an agricultural point of view, the 

first half of the nineteenth century in California 

•» 

is important chiefly as being the period of the 
Spanish and Mexican land grants. Before the termina¬ 
tion of Spanish rule, in 1833, about thirty ranches 
or farms had been granted. As a means of coloniza¬ 
tion under Mexican independence the number was 
greatly increased, and in 1846 no less than eight 
hundred large tracts containing some of the best land 
in the State had been given away. These land grants 
have from that day to the present exerted powerful 
influence in shaping the destiny of the Commonwealth. 
At the cession of California to the United States in 
1848, there were comparatively few Spaniards or 
Mexicans north of San Francisco, and the influence 
of these, outside of a few prominent individuals 
like General Vallejo and Senor Martinez in the 
Coast region, was not sufficient to make any lasting 
impressions. In no sense is this true of the land 
grants along the Sacramento River and its tributaries. 
These have so controlled the agricultural as well as 
the commercial and social development of that part 
of the State that it would not be possible to convey 
to minds unfamiliar with the situation a correct idea 


- 63 - 











r r 



1 


y 






of thi 


of 


-L. V — 

o ne 


irrigation 


conditions and possibilities 


valley without some reference to the size and charact 

er of the land holdings. 

'__ 


(Tefole No. 



Spanish 


County 


and, lexican Land Grants in Sacramento Vailev 

Number of 

Land Grants Total feres 


Yolo 

Yuba 

Colusa and C-lenn 

Sacramento 

Butte 

Solano 

Sutter 

Tehama 


i—» 

a 

6 

8 

"8 

8 

3 

7 


91,970 
78,653 
153,263 
302,500 
149,381 

146.379 
33,545 

151.379 


Total 


47 


980,399" 


(3) "The above summary shows that prior to 
1848 grants aggregating 980,399 acres had been made 


to residents of the nine counties in the Sacramento 
Valley. The number given in the table is slightly 


in excess of the number of original grants for the 
reason that a few were subsequently divided by county 
lines. Thus, for example, the Capa 3 .r grant to J.Soto, 


comprising 41,388 acres, was cut in two by the north 
boundary of Glenn County, This political division 
left 30,388 acres in Tehama County and the balance 
in Glenn County." 


AMERICAN EXPLORATION 

(5) "The first authentic 
are those of Gen. John Bidwell 


records of exploration 
who, in 1843, while 


- 64 ' 






























\ 



























in the service of General Sutter; of Sutter's Fort, 
on the site of the present city of Sacramento, 
traversed the entire valley. The following year 
several grants of large tracts of land, covering 
parts of the river bottom and lower valley plains* 
were secured from the liexican Government. During 
this year General Bidwell returned and located, 
southeast of the site now occupied by the town of Wil¬ 
lows, a large grant known as "Larkin's Children's 
Rancho M for Thomas 0. Larkin, of Monterey. Upon this 
grant the first dwelling was erected in 1846. In 
1845 Bidwell secured for himself a grant of two 
square leagues of rich alluvial land at the site of 
the town of Chico, on the Sacramento River, then 
occupied by a thriving village of native Indians of 
the Colusa Tribe of Diggers." 


EARLY CROPS 

(4) "The first crops were grown along the 
Sacramento River and consisted of corn, sweet and 
Irish potatoes* melons and other vegetables, and hay. 
The luxuriant growth of wild grasses on the plains 
of Yolo and Colusa Counties and the mild climate of 
the region were favorable to stock raising, and this 
industry grew to great proportions between 1850 and 
1863. The common cattle were of poor quality, being 
the Mexican long horn type. Prior to 1860, however, 
a considerable number of American bred cattle were 


- 65 - 















brought across the plains from the East. Stock 
raising continued to be the principal occupation of 
the settlers until the years of 1863 and 1363. 

During these two seasons a prolonged drought occurred, 
which caused a scarcity of pasture on the plain, and 
a3 a consequence e, large number of stock perished. 

This resulted in a great loss to the cattlemen and 
brought about a change in agricultural practices 
and hastened the development of new industries." 

(5) "The first sowinn of wheat was made upon 


6 


the rich alluvial soil of the river bottom, producing 
a yield of 40 to 50 bushels to the acre. Pith success 
in the raising of stock and the growing of hay, 
barley, and wheat, ranches multiplied and settlements 
sprang up in the vicinity of the Sacramento River." 

RAE lv:ay TRANSPORTATIO N 

( 5 ) "The ranches and rural settlements were 
gradually extended from the river bottoms to the 
valley plains. It was not, however, until the 
stimulation caused by the coming of the Northern 
Railway, now the Southern Pacific in 1873, that 
present Valley points 'within the so-called Colusa 
area assumed importance. Then a great part of the 


river settlements, business houses, 
population were transferred bodily 
points and dry farming to grain in 
developed rapidly." 


dweHings, and 
# 

to the railroad 
extensive tracts 


- 66 - 









































LIODERN H/0HIRERY AND WHEAT EAR 13 


(5) "It is the invention of rftodern labor-saving 

machinery and the general use of the gang plow, 
throwing from 6 to 3 furrows and drawn by an 3 or 10 
mule team, the wheeled broadcast seeder or grain 
drill, and the combined harvester introduced in 1890 
and hauled by 36 to 33 mules or horses, cutting. 


■ V- 


t- 


and sacking 

the sr5,in at 

one 

o 



ndered this 

extensive sys 

tern 

eneral type 

of farming to 

the 




inc 

reas ea > 

Thp l 

arge 

t he 

aoquiri 

a. 

ng of 

O s-y “] 

ful 

farmers 

, who 

Tfp -#■» ,o 

't O J- V-/ 


present day - possible or profitable, with improve¬ 
ment in the efficiency of farm machinery the capacity 
of operating over still larger tracts by use of the 

ge holdings grew 

r\ 1 vtIi 4- "h r» 4 -n rr r\ I s a rn 

1 ( 

a single unfavorable season." 

(5) "During the period of maximum Production 
the quantity pi wheat and barley produced in this 
section was enormous. Upon the holdings of the late 
Dr, Glenn, occupying some 46,000 acres near Jacinto, 
nearly 1,000,000 bushels of wheat is reported to have 
been grown in a single season* Large barges were, 
and are still, loaded with the sacked grain ard 
floated down the river to San Francisco from this and 
adjacent river points, in tow of stern-wheel steamers. 
In addition, large shipments are made bv rail from 


- 67 - 
























































warehouses established in various parts of the valley. 
More than 50,000 tons of grain have been shipped from 
some places in a single season.” 

(5) "The success attained in the production of 
grain under an extensive and inexpensive system of 
agriculture, m thout regard to the principles of 
rotation of crops, and with little attention to 
thorough culture or application of farm manures or of 
other fertilizers, has not been without its injurious 
and depressing effects. In the handling of large 
tracts under such a system, the matter of preparing 
and seeding the greatest possible e.rea in the least 
possible time and at the least expense, rather than 
that of thorough cultivation and larger yields on 
more limited areas, has been, the leading factor in 
success. Such methods, though perhaps necessary 
under economic conditions, ultimately lead to 
deterioration in the productiveness of the soil.” 

(5) "Summer fallowing was early adopted as a 

\ 

means of securing increased yields. Under this 
practice, one-half of the land lies idle during the 
growing season. Upon the most of the fallowed tracts, 
however, the land is merely plowed and rarely is any 
attempt made by subsequent cultivation to .conserve 
the moisture for the following season.. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the fallowing of the land every second year, 
the continued production of the one crop of wheat or 

















This has in 


barley has resulted, in decreased yields, 
turn given rise to failures, depreciation of land • 
values, and to an increase in the number of mortgaged 
farms. M 

SMALL FARMS ABSORBED 

(5) n As the farmers of limited capital were 
forced to abandon the land, their small holdings 
were rented or absorbed by the owners of the more 
extensive tracts who could afford to operate for the 
narrow margin of profit allowed by decreasing yields 
and prices, and further concentration of the farming 
lands in great estates was effected, with correspond¬ 
ing decrease in population. This is brought forcibly 
to the attention of one traveling over the roads in 
the great valley district. Numerous small bunches of 
trees mark the point where once stood a house, the 
home of a small farmer* Today these families are 
scattered, and the small ranch is only a small frac¬ 
tion in a great farm of perhaps 10,000 to 30,000 
acres owned by one person and farmed by a drifting 
population employed only during .the planting and 
harvesting season, and having no interest in the wel¬ 
fare of the country except in obtaining a few weeks 1 
wages, which may or may not be spent in the neighbor¬ 
ing towns. According to the United States census for 
1890 and 1900 this section of the Sacramento Valley, 
except in Tehama County where a colonization project 


- 39 - 







brought the country a trifling increase in population 
in that decs.de, ha4 decreased in population more than 
IS per cent and the average size farm in Glenn and 
Colusa Counties is given in the statistics for 1900 
as 1,091.4 and 945 acres respectively. n 

(5) "Many of the farm dwellings in these exten¬ 
sively dry-farmed districts are remote from neigh¬ 
bors, the post-office, public schools, or public 
highways, and are often of cheap construction. ' The 
farmsteads are frequently without shade or fruit 
trees, shrubbery, or the usual vegetable garden of 
eastern or irrigated districts. Instead of growing 
them, fresh fruits and vegetables are purchased from 
the Chinese vegetable vender, who makes regular 
trips through the country, for many miles, with the 
product of his small irrigated and intensively 
cultivated vegetable patch, which is located in 
the vicinity of the small towns or even at some dis¬ 
tance outside the area. In the dry-fe.rmed districts 
of the more productive and better drained soils, 
however, particularly west of hallows and Maxwell, 
and in the south-western part of the area, substan¬ 
tial and attractive farm buildings prevail. In 1892 
the late W. K,Mills estimated that the holdings of 
100 proprietors in the Sacramento Valiev aggregated 
1,600,000 acres, or an average of 16,000 acres to 


- 70 - 







I 






. 

- ... 

■ • .... '• 































the landlord* The year previous, William Ham Hall, 
Ex-State Engineer, in a report to the Central Irriga¬ 
tion District, located in portions of Glenn and Colusa 
Counties, stated that 40 owners held 89,000 acres ox 
the total of 156,550 acres comprised in the district, 
yet this district'when compared with the entire 
valley, if one excepts a few large ranches, was one 
of small rather than large holdings. This condition 
continued largely unchanged until the opening of the 
30th Century," 

CHANGES now occurring 


(s) "The Valley is now in a transitional 
stage. Several of the large grain ranches have been 
sold to land and irrigation companies which have pro- 
vided, or are proceeding to provide, a water supply. 

As soon as this is done the land is subdivided and 
sold to settlers in small holdings. These sales 
mean much more than ordinary land transfers. They 
involve a radical change in crops, farming operations 
and methods, and the breaking up of the great so-called 
Bonanza wheat farms. The new man on the small farm 
cannot afford to raise grain. In order to make a 
living he must grow alfalfa, fruit, sand vegetables, 
and as a rule these must be irrigated." 

(5) "While extensive irrigation of the valley 
plains has been discussed and irrigation works have 


- 71 - 



























D3en partially completed at great expense, progress 
in irrigation and intensive agriculture has been 
blocked by engineering difficulties, litigation, 
and the indifference and opposition of the land 
owners themselves, who here, where grain can still 
be produced at a small profit, prefer in many canes 
to continue the direction of uncertain farming oper¬ 
ations over an estate of one to many thousand acres 
rather than to take up the management of a smaller 
irrigated farm. In consequence this section of the 
Sacramento Valley, as stated in the publication 
already cited, while possessing greater natural 
advantages than some of the rich, intensively ir¬ 
rigated districts of Southern California, has 
developed but a fraction of its productive capacity. 
Gradually the transformation has occurred; first, of 
the Spanish grants of grazing tracts enormous in size 
next the wheat kings 1 farming areas almost equally 
great without irrigation, and requiring but scant 
population to plant and harvest the crops; and last, 
the present approaching era of the farm intensively 
cultivated by irrigation, where the owners may on 20 
to 40 acres raise a family, live in comparative 
luxury and put money in the bank year by year." 

To accomplish this last revolution means 
the expenditure of vast sums of money to make irriga¬ 
tion water available, prepare the land and to plant 



































































it, and erect suitable 
and his "stock. What 
vrhat the returns to be 


buildings to house the o~ne 
the cost will amount to. and 
secured will be, will be 


discussed in the following portions of the report. 












' 


















. 
























































. 












CHAPTER V. 


IRRIGATION IN THE SACRAHENTO VALLEY 


NECESSITY FOR IRRIGATION 


It is to-day accepted as axiomatic that the 
further agricultural development of California is de¬ 
pendent upon irrigation. Seasonal conditions may be 
divided into two parts, the wet and the dry. Comrnenc 
ing in November and extending often into April and 
Hay is the period during which storms occur, compris¬ 
ing rain in the valleys and low foothills, and snow 
in the high Sierras. From May until the following 
December the sky is almost constantly cloudless; rain 
falls in negligible quantity and the green hills and 
valleys become brown and parched. If it were not so, 
if the two seasons did not alternate in this manner, 
we should have a country far different from Calif¬ 
ornia as we know it: Fresno would not be the center 


of a great raisin industry; fruit would not be dried 
in the open as it is now; and conditions would obtain 
more nearly approximating those of the eastern states 
PAST EXPERIENCE 

(7) "'Irrigation in California has undergone 
tremendous vicissitudes during the past forty years# 
Laws have been inadequate to safeguard the use and 
appropriation of water; pitiful ignorance has been 
shown in planning and constructing irrigation systems 


- 74 - 














: r 




*. 








Farmers of no experience or training have been entrust¬ 
ed with the expenditure of large sums with disastrous 
results. Out of it all, however, has grown a mighty 
industry irrigating 3,193,646 acres out of a possible 
9,699,600 and certain axioms of irrigation have been 
established beyond cavil." 

AREA IRRIGATED 

In Bulletin 354, Office of Experiment 
Stations, U. S* Department of Agriculture, "Irriga¬ 
tion Resources of California and Their Utilization", 
are outlined irrigation resources of the State. The 
agricultural and irrigated areas are listed for 335 
separate valleys or units, and the total area of 
irrigable agricultural land found in the zones of 
irrigation water supply, which includes all of the 
valle}? lands, the rolling plains of the Great Valley, 
the arable portions of the Sierra foothills up to 
about 3,000 feet in elevation, and all of the plateau 
and desert lands to which some irrigation water 
supplies are available, is estimated at 31,365,300 
acres. Of this, 3,300,000 acres are already irrigated 
and 9,700,000 acres estimated as the area which will 
probably be ultimately irrigated* 

Of the total irrigable areas, it is concluded 
that 38.5 per cent are in Northern California, 44 per 
cent in Central California, and 37.5 per cent in 


- 75 - 










. 
























t 

% 

■ t 

. 


























* 














* 






















. 











Southern California. 15 per cent of the total irrigat¬ 
ed area is in Northern California, 61 per cent in 
Central California, and 34 per cent in Southern Cal¬ 
ifornia, Of the areas which it is believed may ulti¬ 
mately be irrigated, 35.5 per cent are in Northern 
California, 44.5 per cent in Central California, and 
30 per cent in Southern California. Of the estimated 
future increase in the irrigated acreage of California 
about 45 per cent is allotted to Northern California, 
56.5 to Central California, and about 18.5 per cent 
to Southern California, 

About one-fifth of all the present irrigat¬ 
ed land in the United States is in California and it 
has been estimated that the Sacramento and San Joaquin 
Valleys alone contain one-tenth of all the land of 
the United States possible of irrigation. Adding 
to this the irrigable land of Southern California, 
including the Imperial Valiev, of the coast counties 
and of the Sierra Nevada foothills, it is quite like¬ 
ly that a seventh or am eighth of all of the land 
possible of irrigation in the United States will be 
found to lie within the confines of the State of Cal¬ 
ifornia. It is also a fact that the highest priced 
irrigated lands in America are found in this State. 

In no other place in the world has water for irriga- 

% 

tion reached so high a- value or been so carefully 


or economically used. 


■ 76 ~ 
























t 




















(l) "The existing irrigation systems cover 
4,OuO,00v acres, one-tenth of which is served by 
pumping piants and artesian wells and the balance 
from stream diversions. These include the valley 
lc-nas along the Coast from the ilexican border to 
and including Ventura Co.; the Imperial and 


Coachella Valleys in the Colorado Desert; a few 
isolated areas in the western portion of the lloiave 

' L d 

Desert; the Santa maria., Owens, Salinas, Paj6.ro, 

Sanua Clara and Honey Lake Valleys; an extensive 


area east of the trough of the San Joaquin Valley, 
with a narrow strip on the west bank of the San 
Joaquin River; scattered areas throughout the 
Sacramento Valley, and some patches along the upper 
Pitt, Scott and Klamath Rivers*" 

PROGRESS OF IRRIGATION 


(o) "Irrigation, like any other development, 
has followed the lines of most evident financial 
returns, hence the localities of least annual and 
summer rainfall were the first to be reclaimed by 
the artificial use of water* The tide of irriga- 




- 77 - 





tion, however, has been moving steadily northward, 
and, excepting in the mountainous sections and 
the sections of excessive rainfall, the necessity 
for irrigation, or at least the value of it where 
it is not a complete necessity, is almost universal- 
ly recognised, While heretofore, then, irriga¬ 
tion has followed the line of most evident re¬ 
turn, in the future it will follow the available 
water supply,” 


LARGE CAPITAL A NECESSITY 


(7) "It is customary to think of the farmer 
p-s one needing little capital. This may have 
been true in past years as applied to farms in the 
Middle West, but it is not true of irrigated 
farms in California, We have been accustomed 
to regard agriculture as a non-capitalized industry, 
and much loose talk has been indulged in about 
farmers creating homes in the arid West by their 
unaided efforts as they formerly did on the prairies 
of Illinois and Iowa, Those who attempt this 
find scenery and mountain air a poor support 
while building flumes and digging ditches. This 
misconception of the preliminary cutla}r required 


78 - 



















■ ( 


has 


anct 


caused much serious hardship to individuals, 
has stood in the way of enacting proper laws* 


Everyone recognizes the need of capital and organi¬ 
zation in the building of railways. There is no one 
vho does not appreciate the necessitv for monev in 

•j / 1/ 

starting a factory, and who would not recognize the 
absurdity of a, hod-carrier trying, without aid, to 
erect a six-story block; yet many insist that the 


equally costly and more difficult construction which 
must precede the watering of arid .lands can be 
carried to completion by home-seekers without either 
money, organization, or technical acquaintance with 
the problem to be solved.” 


COMPARISON PITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 


"In Southern California the tremendous 
development is due entirely to irrigation, and the 
cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Riverside and Red¬ 
lands are as truly the products of irrigation as the 
orchards that surround them. In fact, we may safely 
say that for a quarter of a century irrigation has been 
the leading factor in the growth of the western two- 
fifths of the United States." 

"It is disappointing in view of this to 
#• 

observe the backwardness of irrigation in Northern 
California. The casual observer has not been able to 
account for the wide stretches of brown summer fallow 


- 79 - 












I* 

A V 


f 







. •' r 






\ * 


; r. 

' i. 


: r .• 






and the poor crops of grain Then such hicrh orofits 
might be made under more intensive farming, plus ir¬ 
rigation. The reasons are not difficult to find. 

Its very advantages in the way of fertile soil, winter 
rains and favorable climate have held it back. Had 
the soil been poorer, the rainfall less and the 
climate colder, irrigation would now cover the entire 
valley. Holdings of land were enormous, grain 
could be grown with profit, and the owners were under 
no necessity to sell and saw no practical way of ir¬ 
rigating several thousand acres and at the same time 
holding possession. Some efforts at cooperative 
ditches had proved disastrous, and so the land was 
farmed for wheat in large tracts until constant crop¬ 
ping has made the land in many sections no long fitted 
for wheat growing." 

"For purposes of comparison between areas... 
in California irrigated and those farmed dry. River¬ 
side may be taken as a typical example of develop¬ 
ment of irrigation. Other similar districts could 
be referred to."' 

About 33,000 acres are irrigated around 
Riverside, 17,000 acres in citrus fruits, and 5,000 
in alfalfa and other crops. Three hundred wells 
have been sunk to supplement gravity supply to ir¬ 
rigate these lands, by which the water supply has 


been maintained in volume as large as during periods 

-80- 










t ' ...-'-r. 











of.abundant precipitation* Starting with a sheep 
pasture, assessed under protest at 75 cents per acre 
in 1870, this district now supports in comfort, if 
not luxury, about 13,000 inhabitants, or a citizen 
in every 1.37 acres irrigated, e,nd shipped over 6,000 
carloads of citrus fruits during the season of 1910. 
The value of this crop was $250 per acre gross on 
the better irrigated area, and the output is rapidly 
increasing. The City of Riverside has 5 banks, 28 
churches, and 13 school-houses. The post-office 
receipts in 1910 were $54,300. The amount of its 
bank deposits $5,750,000, and assessed valuation, 
$8,500,000, make it perhaps the first city of its 
class in the United States. 

On the other hand, consider Glenn County, 
lying in the upper portion of the Sacramento Valley 
and principally upon the western side of the Sacra¬ 
mento River. It has so many natural advantages that 
if its valley lands were divided into small farms 
and irrigated it probably could be made one of the 
most productive and densely populated agricultural 
counties in the State of California. It is today, 
aside from its irrigated areas, confronted with a 
decreasing population and a decreasing assessed valu¬ 
ation, as the result of dry farming, kith natural 
opportunities greater than any that exist in South¬ 
ern California, it has not reached one per cent of 


- 81 - 



f. 


















the development which is possible. 

(?) "From an agricultural standpoint the differ¬ 
ence between .Northern and Southern California is ir¬ 
rigation. All that has been accomplished in the 1 

latter can be more than duplicated in the former. 
Nevertheless, no state has gained more than Califor?- 
nia from the artificial application of water, or has 
more at stake in the extension of its use. It is 
only through its magic that all of the possibilities 
with which the State is so generally endowed can be 
brought into full fruition. Through irrigation, ... 
midsummer can be made almost as lovely as spring. 

It removes or lessons the dust and. discomfort of the 
rainless season and makes it possible to create rural 
homes which on the whole represent an average of 
human comfort hardly to be equalled elsewhere in this 
country. It completes the marvelous combination 
which makes winter a season of seed-time instead of 
stagnation, which gives to the farmers many of the 
products of the tropics with the climate of the tem¬ 
perate zone, which withholds moisture when it is not 
needed and thus relieves the husbandman of the most 
serious vicissitudes of humid districts. This is an 
aggregation of advantages which those who live else- 

m 

where find it hard to believe exist, and which at 
home is not everywhere fully appreciated." 


.- 82 - 







«U *1 * 


' r: 0 - 




* **« X *| 







/ 



(7)* * *i n order to realize what irrigation will 
do for the Sacramento Valley one must go to the 
southern part of the State, where lands which ’were 
once not worth §10 an acre have by irrigation been 
made worth §1800 an acre, where water which once ran 
unused to the sea now sells for §1250 for a single 
inch, where the yearly cost of water on an acre of 
land has at times exceeded the purchase price of an 
3.cre of first-class farming land in Iowa. The citrus 
industry, which affects not simply southern Califor¬ 
nia but the markets of every important city in the 
United States, is the creation of irrigation; but 
great as it is, it is not the chief benefit which 
irrigation has brought to this part of the State. A 
large gain has come from the beautiful landscape 
which these cases of fruit and foliage present and 
which have done as much to create the cities of Los 
Angeles, Riverside, Redlands and Pasadena as their 
delightful climate.*** 

"Irrigation in Northern California is of 
more importance for the possibilities than its achieve¬ 
ments. For nearly half a century the greater part of 
the land of this region has been devoted to the unre¬ 
remit ting production of cereal crops. Each year the 
grain has been shipped away and the straw burned. 

Little or nothing has been done to restore the fertili¬ 
ty of the soil. Although this surprising drain has 


- 85 - 









































t 












gone on lor fifty years, it cannot continue forever# 
There must he a change; rotation of crops must be in- 
troauced both to maintain the fertility of the soil 
and to render irrigation less hazardous and more prof 
itable. Such rotation is not possible by rainfall 
alone. There is neither enough water nor is it right 
ly distributed. While the dry season is one of the 
State 1 s greatest advantages when combined with ir¬ 
rigation, it is a great obstacle when agriculture is 
attempted without irrigation's aid. It is possible 
to make California one of the richest agricultural 
states in America, but to do this requires that every 
river shall be diverted, that the floods shall be 
stored, and that every drop of the available supply 
shall be used.” 

(7) "The following description does not over¬ 
state the possibilities of the Sacramento Valley: 

*We have here a country of marvelous possi¬ 
bilities, a soil rich in all the elements of 
plant growth, with surface smooth and easy of 
tillage, a climate whose summer heat and winter 
cold are tempered by the breezes of the Pacific, 
so equable that hers all the choicest products 
of the temperate zone and of the subtropics 
are grown alike in perfection. Here flourish 
side by side thq apple, the peach, the pear, 
the plum, the apricot, and grape, along with 
the orange, the lemon, the lime, and the fig. 

Here the oak and the pine, there the palm 
and the pepper tree. The roses bloom winter 
and summer. The orange carries its fruit 
through the winter; the oleander is a tree. 1 " 


34 - 







J 


* • 


(?) "To make use of these resources irrigation 
is necessary* The natural rainfall of the country 
"/ill not answer* The land that is irrigated is wort 
from two to four times as much as the unirrigated 
1and whic h adjoins it.” 

(3) "The highest priced and most productive 
farm lands on this continent are in California and 
in the region where irrigation is practiced. It has 
only of lat 3 yea rs become generally recognized that 
irrigation is a necessity in the Sacramento Valley 
equally as much as in Southern California, to accom¬ 
plish the greatest results, and that a careful use 
of water even at high cost far more than repays 
the farmer." 

(3) "For centuries the valley of the Po in 
Italy has been under irrigation. Comparing the 
annual average rainfall at Milan with that of the 
Sacramento Valley will show interesting results." 


- 85 - 


~ 4 'l 


X 


4 « 


•* ♦* 


. • 


v.I 






(Table No* 32.) 
RAINFALL 


In Inches. 


Month 

MILAN 
Average of 
Eighty Years 

SACRAMENTO 
VALLEY 
Average of 
Twenty-four 
Years 

TEMPERATURE 

OF SACRAMENTO 
VALLEY 

Average Five 
Years, Degree 
Fahrenheit 

January 

2,3 

i 

» 

o 

48° 

February 

2.3 

2.9 

51 

March 

2.8 

2.8 

54 

April 

3.6 


58 

May 

4,0 

1.1 

66 

June 

3.3 

0.5 

75 

July 

2.9 

0.-1 

78 

August 

3.7 

0.2 

79 

September 

3.8 

0.4 

71 

October 

4,4 

1.2 

65 

November 

4,2 

2.8 

55 

December 

2.8 

3,4 

47 


40.1 21.0 


With an annual rainfall double that of the 


Sacramento Valley, Italy with the experience of 
centuries finds irrigation profitable. Must not we 
reach the same conclusion with regard to the Sacra¬ 
mento Valley? 

Of all sections of California none is so 
blessed with abundant water for irrigation as is the 
Sacramento Valley. The estimated storage capacity 
of the available reservoirs totals about 6,500,000 
acre feet. 


- 86 - 










« ; i 












The total area, in the Sacramento Valley 
which can be considered topographically situated to 
receive water is, in Bulletin 254, estimated at 
5,450,000 acres, and the conclusion is therein 
reached that while water may not be economically 
available to all of the area under present standards 
of use and costs, none of it really should be elimin¬ 
ated as being plainly outside of the reach of water* 
1,000,000 acres are in the upper line of permanent 
or temporary overflow, with 800,000 acres naturally 
covered by every considerable flood. "Assuming the 
ultimate protection of all the present overflow land, 

but eliminating the estimated 250,000 acres that 

> 

will still remain in river and by-pass and other 
drainage channels after flood protection is ac¬ 
complished, and further reducing the irrigable area 
on account of roads, towns and other uncultivated 
patches, the irrigable area of the valley probably 
approximates 2,500,000. It is believed that this 
area can be considered fit for irrigation and that 
waiter for irrigation is now or will be made available 
for it." 

IRRIGABLE AREA AND COST : GRAVITY AND PURRING 

(3) "It is estimated that the Sacramento Valley 
contains 2,600,000 acres of irrigable land. It has 
been estimated that the cost of preparing the land 


- 87 - 









% 




for irrigation and building the farm ditches and the 
structures necessary for the control and use of 
water would average $12 per acre, or $35,000,000 
for the entire valley and that under existing 
conditions this land is not supplying more than 


one-tenth of the revenue of which it is capable* 

10 successfully control and use the water to ir- • 
rigate this land will cost $20 per acre, or 
v50,001,000. It will require $14 per acre or 
*35,000,000 to prepare the farm land for irrigation, 
or a total of $85,000,000, or $35 per acre on 
2,500,000 acres." 


And were this not sufficient, the enormous 
area of underground gravel beds deposited in past 
eras by these same streams or their predecessors, 
the flow of which, according to Le Conte, was ten 
times the present flow of California Rivers, afford 
underground storage reservoirs, the water plane in 
which stands at from fifteen to one hundred feet 
below the surface. These reservoirs can be tapped 
at small cost by means of wells, and by utilising 
the cheap electric power now so abundant in Cal¬ 
ifornia, can be pumped at comparatively small cost* 
It is quite possible that in many localities water 
will be so pumped, at costs oer acre-foot less than 
it can be secured by gravity, all costs of installa¬ 
tion and maintenance considered. In solving this 


.- 88 - 


V 




% 










t 











































question, cheap electric power will be the dominant 
f actor * 

SUPERABUNDANCE OF WATER XI SACRAMENTO VALLEY 

Compare this superabundance with the 
general situation through the arid west wherein only 
10 per cent of the land can be irrigated. To 
succeed, irrigation must have ample water at command 
at cheap ppj.ce per acre irrigated. 

(7) ’’Only calamity can come from trying to 
extend the limits of settlement beyond the possibili¬ 
ties of known and assured water supply." 

In respect to water supply and to land > 
susceptible of irrigation at small cost with the 
maximum return, the Sacramento Valley stands unique. 
Water in abundance, land of highest quality, coupled 
with winters without snow or ice and of even little 
frost, comprises a combination of assets impossible 
of duplication. 


- 89 - 








* 





• r . 





CHAPTER VI. 


RECLAMATION OF SACRAMENTO VALLEY 

A report on conditions in the Sacramento 
Valley would fail in presenting an adequate picture 
did it not include some comment on the problem of 
reclamation. 

UPBUILDING OF THE RIVER 

The Sacramento River in its course through- 
the valley does not occupy the lowest depression. 
Through past years, and especially during the period 
of hydraulic mining from 1852 to 1880, the river has 
gradually filled its bed with silt and debris, until 
today its level is in places well above the surround¬ 
ing country, causing the land to slope up to, rather 
than down to, the waters edge. 

THE GREAT BASINS 

The areas of the greatest depressions are 
known as basins, and comprise with the low delta lands 
of the Sacramento and San Joaquin a total acreage of 
approximately 800,000 acres that is subject to in- 
nundation in times of considerable flood,and 1,000,000 
acres subject to overflow from extraordinary floods. 
The cities of Stockton, Sacramento, Marysville and 
Colusa are all behind levees, a condition in a 
measure analogous to the cities of Holland. 


- 90 - 



































early recognition of necessity of reclamation 


It has been recognized from the time of the 
great flood in Sacramento in 1852 that the control of 
the flood water of the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and 
American Rivers and of Cache and Putah Creeks was not 
only desirable but must be eventually accomplished if 
the ultimate value of the Sacramento valley lands 
was to be attained. 

The early efforts consisted in protecting 
the more important towns with levees; following which, 
reclamation of large tracts in the delta districts was 

i 

undertaken as private enterprises, and without any 
• 

concert of action looking to the final solution of the 
problem from Chico to Suisun Bay. 


ISLANDS OF DELTA AREA 

By degrees, levees have been thrown up around 
large tracts locally known as '’Islands 11 , and an extreme¬ 
ly important and profitable agricultural area has been 
created. Because of the fertility of the soil, ease of 
irrigation from the river, proximity to San Francisco, 
and unsurpassed transportation by water, this land 
finds a ready market as renting land. Rented for cash 
it commands $35 to $40 per acre per annum and on shares 
as much as $50 to $75 in crop value* Because, however, 
of liability of flooding, its sale price is comparative¬ 
ly low; ranging from $100 to $200 per acre, depending 
on the character of the levees. ' Jn some cases where 


- 91 - 



























/ 










protection is unquestioned values 


range as high as I500* 

Freed from the menace of floods this land 
would readily command $500. per acre and would earn 
30 Jo per annum on such valuation* As examples, Sherman 
Island and Ryer Island withstood the flood of 1907, 
but Jersey and Bouldin were entirely submerged. Jersey 
has been again reclaimed at a cost of approximately 
$50 per acre* Bouldin, on which was located one of the 
most prosperous asparagus plants on the river, is still 
submerged. Prior to the flood, land on Bouldin Island 
was worth and sold for $300. per acre. Today the 
Island could probably be bought for $50 to $75 per acre. 

No single reclamation district can hope to do 
more than reasonably safeguard themselves; they cannot 
control the problem nor guarantee immunity. While the 
flood of March 1907 stands as the greatest recorded, 
there is by no means any certainty but what greater 
have preceded and may follow* 

ENGINEERS REPORTS 

Because of the uncertainty and because of 
the vast amount at stake, persistent efforts have been 
made for years to develop a practical plan to control 
the situation as a whole. Reports have been made at 
various times by Col. Heuer, U.G.A., Wm.K. Hall, State 
Engineer, Harsden Mason, and C. E. Grunsky, dealing 
with the problem. 







• L 


r ... .• ’ 

*• • 



JAENEY REPORT 


A State River Convention was called in San 
Francisco in 1904, the result of which was the appoint' 
ment of a Commission consisting of! Major Dabney, 
Chief Engineer of the Yazoo Mississippi Delta Levee 
District, Major Richardson, Member U* S* Mississippi 
River Commission, Major Chi tendon in che.rge of Yellow¬ 
stone Park and Missouri River and M, A, Nurse, Chief 
Engineer to the Commissioner of Public Works of 
California# 

The report of the Commission is known as the 
Dabney Report. It begins as follows: 

"Last spring disastrous flooding of broad 
areas of the lowlands of the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin valleys, embracing several of the best 
reclamation districts of our State, upon which 
vast sums of money had been expended for pro¬ 
tection and drainage, again forcibly demonstrates 
the insecurity of reclamation interests under 
existing river conditions and disconnected 
efforts toward flood control." 

"The plan submitted by the Commission pro¬ 
vides for channel rectification and enlargement 
and gradual concentration of the flood volume 
between lines of levees so located as to ultimate¬ 
ly provide ample area for transporting all the 
flood volume." 

Since the publishing of the Dabney report 
numerous Government gauging stations have been 
established* The Commission had but meager data as to 
maximum volume to be dec It with, and assumed from 
what ds.ta were available that a maximum of 250,000 
second feet would amplv cover any contingency that 


might arise. 


- 93 - 






1 


L 






















/ 




.3 













To carry the volume from Collinsville to 
Cache Slough, the channel section between levees was 
estimated at 35 feet deep and 140C feet wide. This 
would, of course, decrease going up stream as tribu¬ 
taries of the main river were passed. 

The total cost was estimated at $34,000,000 
but land values at 0300,000,000 would be e.dded to the 
State’s resources. 

Because of conflicts between the Federal 
and State Governments, no headway was made looking to 
the carrying out of the plain during the next three 
3rears< In 1907 the great flood came, and in place 
of a maximum of 350,000 second-feet it was found that 
a maximum of 650,000 second-feet had to be provided 
f or* 

An amended report by the California Debris 
Commission was published in 1911* The plan recom¬ 
mended is based on a maximum volume of 700,000 second 
feet of water, and the estimated cost is $33,000,000* 

Subsequently the State created the Reclama¬ 
tion Boc.rd which must now approve the plans for all 
reclamation work; and it is insisting thct all pro¬ 
jects conform, closely to the general plan of the Cal¬ 
ifornia Debris Commission outlined in the amended re¬ 
port just mentioned. 


- 94 - 


t 







V 



I 





PRESENT CONDITIONS 


Some work cot the mouth of Suisun Bay has 
been undertaken that will afford a measure of relief, 
but no permanent and absolute cure can be expected or 
hoped for until the entire scheme is carried out; in 
which event the delta lands and the swamp and over¬ 
flow 1 raids of the Sacramento Valley will become 
quite a,s fertile and famous as che famed Valley of 
the Nile. It must be remembered that all of this 
land is included in the 2,500*000 acres comprising 
the Sacramento Valley so that there are in reality 
two problems; one, the irrigation of the lands above 
the flood plane; the other, the reclamation of the 
low-lands. The Natomas Consolidated have practically 
completed the reclamation of American Basin, some 
70,000 acres, end two other projects well under way 
will reclaim about SO,000 acres more in Sutter and 
Yolo Basins, while many other smaller projects are ... 
in varying stages of development. 

It is a serious question as to the liability 
of a reclamation district in thus diverting water onto 
adjoining lands. A recent decision in Stockton has 
awarded damages amounting to some 04,000. chainst a 
reclamation district for flooding the property of an 
adjoining owner because of a levee built by the 
district. Added to this is the certainty that a 


- 95 - 


















partial reclamation only accentuates the trouble, al- 
though the Natomas and other very large projects 
evidently believe that their levees will be so 
strong that the other mam's levee will go first* 
PURCHASE OF O VERFLOW LANDS 

Personally, the writers would not advocate 
any large investments in reclamation projects, al¬ 
though believing that the purchase of overflow land 
will in the next ten years show splendid profit by 
simply sitting still and waiting. The purchase of 
such properties as Bouldin, Jersey, or Ryer Island 
cannot possibly fail of large profit in the end. How 
long it will be before the general plan of reclama¬ 
tion is carried out is hard to say. Many difficulties 
stand in the way one of which is divided control 
between the United States Government on the one hand 
and the State of California on the other. 

COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT 

That complete reclamation will eventually 
be accomplished goes without saying as the benefits 
are so obvious and of such magnitude that the work 
must be undertaken am co public necessity. The first 
step has been taken in the channel rectification at 
the entrance to Suisun Bay, provided by the State of 
California and the United States Government jointly 
is being spent by the United States Engineers, Other 

-bo- 







V 













• - 


/ 








> 


















steps will follow.in due course and eventually the 
project as a whole will he an accomplished fact* 

























































































































































































































































































































































































































































- 97 - 




























































CHAPTER VII. 


PLAN OF develop: IENT 


OPINION OF EXPERTS 

It is the unanimous opinion of the experts 

consulted in the preparation of this report that the 

absolutely safe method of reaping the greatest profit 

from irrigated farming in California comprises the 

acquiring of the land and water in one ownership; 

• * 

applying the water and improving the laud; selling 
only when satisfactory prices are attainable even if 
a delay of years be necessary; and relying in the 
meantime upon the product of the soil to supply not 
only interest on the investment but an additional 
income that may quite possibly bring the total an¬ 
nual return up to 13, 13 or even 3C per cent per 
annum on the original capital. 

NECESSITY EOR LARGE CAPITAL 

It is not possible to successfully under¬ 
take any irrigation development project in California 
without command of verv large capital. One of the 


vital factors necessary to success is thus stated by 
Head in his work "Irrigation Institutions": 

"No adequate system of irrigation, or any 
endurin n prosperity for the people ’-ho till the 
soil, can be built on separate ownership and di¬ 
vided control of land and water." 

Because of the capital necessarv to develop an ir- 


- 98 - 















it is nec- 


rigation system or reclaim overflow areas, 
essary to control a large acreage of land in order 
that the cost may he within commercial limitations# 

It is also necessary that this work he done with the 
greatest rapidity possible, owing to the interest 
charge that will he accumulating from day to day. 

It maw he laid dorm as axiomatic that it is 
necessary to- complete the development in the shortest 
space of time. The larger the project the more vital 
becomes the necessity of rapid work. The present 
value of hi<00 deferred one year at 6 per cent is 
94.340, two years it is 88.990, five years 74.720, 
ten years 55.830 and twenty years 31.180. The desir¬ 
ability of development in the shortest possible time 
is therefore simply a matter of mathematical demon¬ 
stration. Failure to recognize this principle has 
resulted in disaster to numerous large enterprises 
wherein working capital has not been provided with 
sufficient raoidity. 

j- j 

RATS REGULATION OF RATER COMPANIES 

In California all companies and even . .c 

individuals supplying water for irrigation are 
public service agents and subject to exactly the 
same rate regulations as is water, gas and electric¬ 
ity supplied to cities; the only restriction of the 
power of the State Railroad Commission being that 
they may not fix a rate which will return less than 


-99 








J* 










/ • 




r * 







- ' * *. 


\ 




> JL • i ’ 






6 per cent nor more than 10 per cent on the invest¬ 
ment. All this may be obviated by owning both water 
and land and selling the land with a share in the 
water so that the purchaser takes the land and a def¬ 
inite interest in a mutual water company and there¬ 
after pays his share of water expense* 

IMPOSSIBILITY OF GUARANTEEING PURCHASER S 

Provided this land oan be farmed immediate¬ 
ly on completion of the ditches, the time elapsing 
during which no interest is being earned on the in- 
vestment will be relatively short. If on the other 
hand, however, the large investment is made on the• 
faith that the public will promptly buy, it follows 
that sales must be made immediately or interest 
charges will pile up at an appalling rate. The land 
and the water can be guaranteed; the costs of joining 
them definitely calculated; but no one can promise 
with certainty that the buyers will be forthcoming. 
Herein is the weak link in the chain, and in order 
to make the project complete without possibility of 
failure it is necessary to plan and carry out the 
farming of a large part, if not all, of the land 
purchased* 

LARGE FA RMS IN CALIFORN IA 

There is nothing revolutionary in such a 
proposal. In California the Kern County Land Company 
has over 70,000 acres in alfalfa, and has one field 


-100 












embracing over 12,000 acres* James Irvine fe-rms over 
70,000 acres in Southern California and there are 
numerous vineyards and orchards of thousands of acres. 

On the west side of the Sacramento Valley 
one company is now planting an orange and lemon 
orchard of 10,000 acres, for which water is being 
pumped over 276 feet vertically out of an irrigating 
canal. 

ADDED PROFITS AND DEVELOPMENT 

Astute selling agents are a unit in insisting 
that for every dollar so invested in improving land 
by cultivation, two dollars will come back when the 
land is sold* The question to be answered, of course 
is: Can the great farm be made to pay? Properly 

managed, with careful selection of crops to be 
produced, there seems to be no dissenting opinion 
among those best Coble to judge. It is contended that 
the application of methods that have made the great 
corporations successful can be applied to farming; and 
results achieved that will be little short of marvelous* 
THE FARM AS AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT 

Consider the farm as an industrial plant* 

In California, with its soil and irrigation, the out¬ 
put will be as great centuries hence as today. The 
demand for the product must constantly increase, and 
obviously prices must, in the long run, advance. The 
area of irrinable land in the West is limited* Head 


101 - 













> 






t 








< • 














states it thus: 

"If every drop of water which foils on the 
mountain summits could be utilized, it is not 
likely that more than 10fo of the to tel. area of 
the arid 1/Yest could be irrigated, and it is cer¬ 
tain that because of physical obstacles it will 
' -never be possible to yet water to even this small 
percentage«" 

Irrigable land is not, therefore, unlimited in quantity* 
and it is not necessary to fear competition from un¬ 
expected sources. Properly handled, the proposal is 
free from governmental attack. From its very nature 
the agricultural industry must enjoy the maximum de¬ 
gree of freedom from the restrictions under which the 
great corporations have been laboring* 

The plant hctzard is nil. 

The plant obsolescence is nil. 

The plant deterioration is very small and 
can be almost wholly obviated by proper crop rotation 
alone. The other part of the fixed plant, ditches, 


dams, etc., have very small deterioration 


Tno 

-L 


build¬ 


ings, farm equipment, etc., constitute a small per¬ 
centage of the total investment, and they, with proper 
attention and management, will have as a whole less 
depreciation, maintenance and renewal charges than 
the rolling stock of railways. 

The prevailing rate.of taxes is a little 
high because land cannot be concealed and the "list 
price of the stock" is the only basis of valuation 
which-can even be suggested to the assessor. 


- 102 - 





Tith a given plant the cost of production 


and the output depends upon the management. By 
and large on the average the farm, is far and away the 
worst managed industrial plant in America. ’.Vith 
essentially identical plants, and the output and the 
unit costs sanely figured, the balance sheet totals 
touch ev c? I* y 0l 3 af r 3 3 X rom heavy deficits to startling , 
profits. The general average is so far below the best 

results authentically reported c~s to make the former 

% 

appear absolutely absurd. 

A little thought explains this. In the 
cities the inefficient gravitate into the ranks of 
some branch of the industrial army and are directed, 
superintended, disciplined, forced into rigid routine, 
and constrained. In the country they are independent, 
reporting to no one, receiving no orders and few sug¬ 
gestions; following their own inclinations and judg¬ 
ments, except as they may be led thereby into such* 
hopeless disaster as to lose their plants and be cast 
into the wage earning class. The wonder really is . 
not at the vide range of results, but rather that so 
large a. proportion are able to keep their plants at 
all. It speaks volumes as to the profitable nature 
of the industry itself* 

COST DATA 

It is, therefore, worth stopping to realize 
that an industry having in the State of California 


103 - 




.* ‘ 







.> 








V • 



a third of a 


auone an annual raw output o. 
billion dollars is on she whole w.s innocent of 
accurate records as is the untutored s^v^e when 
construct inn a win warn* Such a state of things was 
disclosed in collectin' the material for this report % 
It has been most difficult to secure any really valu¬ 
able cost data covering output and cost over a series 
of years. Relatively speaking, as compared to the 


vsilabl 


O Ct a .1 ^ + Q ~ 1 S ~r ri rt 

O ^ wO Ux 1 '-L , O 


orporaticns, similar 


data applying to farms are, except those kept by a 
very few individuals, non-existent. The nearest 
approach to relief-is cost and output data extant 
are, with such exceptions, figures for but one or 
two years and rarely accompanied by explanations as 
to the bases or manner of compilation* Viewed in tin 
light of modern cost keeping, such data is of little 
v. lue in determining actual balance sheets to be 
expected. 

The output 

riven area and crons mus 

.sri cultural depart¬ 
ments. 


ut 

and 

production 


i5 J - 

"W O "1 Cl ^ 

^ ^ -u W -u W 


re be constructed 


*4 - "*i 
Gl u O 

01 

C J r~ -v r- 'T c* 

0 b ww 

oo s 

0 

of these men 

raver 

S3 

d every porti 

gain 

in 

their work a: 

ied. 

TP 

rom them have 

such 

as 

men \nd team 


>n obtained all basic 


, . - - jgi i -i ■> m s c* 

». wU U vv _L — ^ n_[L. -L a/ - ^ —f L/ J- O J ^ 

■ 104 - 


terioration of equipment. 







marketing costs, crop yields, etc,, and from past 
market reports, market prices obtained -aid hence to 
be expected. From these, gross receipts ._md operate 
ing expenses were built up and checked, and the fig¬ 
ures as given in Chapter VIII, "F_,rm Management*', 
are believed to be conservative in every detail. 

With but few exceptions the net returns are much 
lower than any corresponding published results. 

There are numerous examples, the reliabili¬ 
ty regarding which is quite beyond question, of re¬ 
sults many times better, some of these being: tabulated 
in'Chapter VIII, (See table No. 40.) "Farm Ik naaemsnt’S 
and are given only as examples of what some people 


claim to have accomplished. It is possible th 




such figures constitute a standard which is not un¬ 
attainable in continued practice, but in the light 
of present information it would be more than unwise 
to expect reaching it. With results a fraction so 
good, the real value of irrigated land in Califor¬ 
nia based on the net returns :ould be very far in 
excess of the present selling values. 

DIVERSITY OF PRODUCTS , EF FICIENCY ,NID OPPORTUNITY 
To accomplish these results it will be 
necessarv to adawt the crows to he Planted to the 


soil; keep a 




ost records; ?n:l, in short, 


conduct the farm, whether it be 1,000 or 100,000 acres, 
on the same basis as any large, modern manufacturing 


- 105 - 

















* 






enterprise. 

If cattle, hogs and poultry are raised, cold 
storage must be provided to the end that products may 
be marketed at advantageous periods. If dairying is 
included, plans for carrying c/nd marketing butter, 
cheese, milk and cream must be rigidly carried out. 

If vegetables nd fruit are included, a canning plant 
must be considered, as well as storage facilities for 
potatoes, onions, nuts, etc* 

Efficiency in buying, producing and market¬ 
ing must be the foundation of the enterprise. This, 
coupled with the ownership of suitable land and 
abundant water, cannot fail of complete sucoes: 


, o o 


Whether such a unit 

should e 

ventu 

ol 1 

^>JL -A- 

v "h } 

cut 

in 

small farms and 

sol 

d is for 

time 

to 

say. 

It 

is. 

personal belief 

of 

the write 

■v. Cl 

-L O <J o 

stock 

in 

su 


enterprise would come to be considered as equal in 
security with the best class of railway bonds, while 
having an interest return at least double. 

The opportunity for several such farms 
exists in the Sacramento Valley. Year by year, how¬ 
ever, it is becoming more and more difficult to con¬ 
trol both land and water in large quantities, and the 
day is not far distant when it will have become an 
impossibility. The tremendous amount of capital 
required considered in the light of agricultural 
operations to date has entirely prevented the develop- 


- 106 - 



I 








i 









ment of any but the very small projects along right 
lines• Being hopeless of doing things right, the 
alternative of doing the little which is possible 
results in enough development to spoil many oppor¬ 
tunities and yet so unsatisfactory as to c&use liti¬ 
gation, slow progress, excessive costs, and to put 
far into the future the highest development which 
must unquestionably some day and in some way be the 
final result. 

Such a farm among its crops might readiljr 
comprise oranges, olives, potatoes, walnuts, almonds, 
sweet potatoes, beans, sugar beets, barley, corn, 
alfalfa, tomatoes, celery, live stock - cattle, hogs 
and poultry, and the products of the dairy,as well 
as a packing and cold storage plant, and possibly a 
sugar refinery* 

It is believed that the conservative 
plan of operation would be to purchase a tract or 
tracts of land that comprise both citrus, deciduous 


p 


,nd alfalfa land, the former being the land on the 


fringe of the valley; the first gentle slopes as 
the country rises towards the mountains, and the 
latter being the river bottom or overflew lands. 

The method of operation then would be to 
plant the alfalfa land, raise cattle, hogs, and 
perhaps maintain a dairy as an adjunct. From the 
profits of this enterprise pay S per cent on the 


- 107 - 






t 



*■ ' 








































investment and use the remainder to plant and care 
for the orchards to*he planted. Eventually, if it 
is determined that the orchards would be more profit¬ 
able than alfalfa, beets, beans, etc., the land can 
by degrees be changed from these to fruits. 

To do this the amount of capital lying dor¬ 
mant will be reduced to a minimum, as curiously enough 
the citrus land that in the long run is expected to 
yield the greatest return is today the cheapest in 
price. The reason for this is that the development 
requires relatively large capital amid longer time 
waiting returns than the putting in of alfalfa, which 
may return a good portion of the cost of improvements 
the first year and so immediately raise the selling 
value of the land involved. 

It is possible that it might be found de¬ 
sirable to plant a large part of the acreage of alfal¬ 
fa and rent a portion or even all of the land instead 
of handling it direct. Alfalfa lands are generally 
rented to dairymen, the usual terms being from $15.00 
to $18*00 per acre per annum for lands within four 
miles of a railway station* There are numerous 
leases in the hodesto and Turlock Irrigetion Districts 
ranging from one to ten years duration wherein the 
rental is paid in advance at such prices. A few 




S- 


such 













leases are given in the table page 133, in the next Chapter. 
Obviously those operating such leased lands must and 

do make money therefrom. Hence the total net returns 

from alfalfa handled as planned are thus shown to 

check well with the figures deduced. 

GREATEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT 

The plan now being generally followed in 
the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys is to buy 
tracts of land on long time, develop a more or less 
satisfactory supply of water, usually as cheaply as 
possible, subdivide into small units, and start a 
selling campaign. The basic idea is a "quick turn" 
disposing of the land, for sale contracts, with a 
small cash payment down and a series of deferred pay¬ 
ments, and as rapidly as possible putting the sale 
contracts in the shape of mortgages which can be 
disposed of to the savings banks and private individ¬ 
uals throughout the ste-te, The first in the field - 
a very few years since - made tremendous profits on 
the small amount invested. This started the movement 
which quickly grew in geometrical ratio', until there 
are over a million acres in the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin Valleys on the market in 30 and 40-acre 
tracts, at an average price of about v30C. per acre. 

The purchasers of these lands must spend an 
average of at least v30 per acre to prepare and plant; 

070. per acre for fences, buildings, equipment, stock, 
etc., (see next heading) and something for living 


109 - 



















4 





expenses until crops can be raised and sold* Buying 
the land on lone time makes it impossible to wive 


a, 


mortgage on it- Y/ith an initial payment on the land 
of CSO per acre, the cs-pital required by the average 
small buyer can hardly be less than Cl35. per acre* 
Undoubtedly many men will succeed with the venture on 
much less, and on the other hand many will fail with 
much more. Nevertheless, the average cash capital 
requirement must be at least Cl35. 1,000,000 x Cl25 = 

Cl25,300,000 as the sum- necessary to be brought into 
the state to absorb such acreage. Because of smaller 
towns developing under conditions which will ensue, 
and other factors, probably *250,000,000 would be 


nearer the truth. At any rate, the amount is tre¬ 
mendous. Indeed, few people seem to realize the 
tremendous task of transforming 1,000,000 acres of 
grain and overflow land into small intensive farms, 
nor the time element involved. There is about twenty- 
five per cent of this acreage irrigated in all of 


Southern California south of the Tehachapi, exclusive 
of the Imperial Valley, Southern California 1 s develop* 
ment, though unprecedently rapid, has required the 
best part of half a century. 

The wonderful natural resources of Cal¬ 
ifornia^ Central Valiev will ultimately justifv such 
colonization, but in general the method in vogue does 
not afford an opportunity for investment * but instead. 


- 110 - 

















speculation, in land margins* 

Operating on conservative lines, that is, 
making an investment , with ample capital, the great¬ 
est returns will be realized by buying lands for 
cash, thus getting much lower prices, and bringing 
all those lands to the highest state of productivity 
in the minimum possibile time. In this way "interest 
during-construction" is reduced to the lowest figure* 
This method of proceeding brings in the Farm Labor 
problem and the Farm Marketing problem. On the 
other hand, it eliminate^ the Colonization and 
Selling problems entirely. 

FARM Li: FOR AND MARNE TING- PRODUCTION PROBLEMS 

Practically all the real difficulties the 

Reclamation Service has found in making homes in the 

arid West have their root in the "human factor". 

The land with as nearly perfect irrigation systems 

as can be devised is taken by earnest "home builders" 

from every quarter of the nation. These people have 

no homogeneity, no neighborhood leaders or traditions, 

no local experience in agricultural methods, crops 

or markets - everything is new. It is inevitable 

that many settlers must expend much money and'M&bor 

most inadvisedly. It is just as much and just as 

disagreeable pioneering even though of a different 

kind, as in the frontier days. Most people who 

understand the conditions and who have .enough money 

- 111 - 































+ 


o insure success are net attracted* 


± liva o uu uio oiOb 


of the Reclamation Service show that the average man 
iffr hc seeks farms in the Reclamation Service projects 
has less than Cl>000 capital and only a small per¬ 
centage has more than 03,000; and the litter figure 
is too small for a family to make a home except with 
severest privation. 

Both the labor and the marketing problems 
can apparently be avoided by leasing lands in small 
areas* To do this however in a satisfactory manner 
necessitates leveling and preparing the lc,nd and bring¬ 
ing it into a fair state of subjugation# Such a 
course however is only transferring to others the 
difficulties that must be solved and by others illy 
able financially and probably mentally to combat them* 

Furthermore, it may almost be said that 
efficient farm help can not be found in the ’.Vest; 
intensive farming means a large amount of labor per 
acre; and the irrigation farmer must practice inten¬ 
sive farming to make good, especially on 0303 an 
acre land* This all forces to" T ?-rd small irrigated 
farms - almost one man farms. Renting in small tracts 
to .reliable, responsible farmers is impracticable, 
because such men prefer workinr for themselves and 
making permanent homes for their families. 

The true solution follows from the follow¬ 


k O 


ing facts! 


no 
xl -O — 










































1 . 


"'any people with very little capital 
and experience in irrigated farming are really obsess¬ 
ed with the desire to own and live on a California 
orchard and vineyard, or small farm, 

3* Some of these live in crowded American 
cities and towns, some on American farms, and some 
in Germany, Italy and Portugal, The first two class¬ 
es particularly would be affected greatly by pioneer¬ 
ing hardships. The third class would probably have 
to be, for a period at least, guided and directed 
in the methods applicable to California conditions 
and given considerable advice for several years 
after coming to California-* 

3, Few of all these people could even con¬ 
sider buying land or would be sufficiently responsible 
or trained in the business to justify leasing to them. 

4, All would gladly pay considerably in 

excess of the market price, everything considered, 

* 

for a farm in complete cultivation, all pioneer work 
done- r, civic centers, marketing agencies, social 
life, etc, - and make the first payment by a propor¬ 
tion regularly held out of their wages over a period 
of several years# During this period they would also 
be being trained in the business, and the good sifted 
out from the useless and indifferent. 

5, In farming, as in other lines, there 

is a marked tendency for men to do as their neighbors, 

resulting in local overproduction of one crop this 

-113- 


... ... 








:? r . 


T <T - ■ 






V ... —* V - ' 














. t ■ 










. 


■ ' 










; 


• - 

























upon supply and demand, and a central czar-like cor¬ 
poration, strong financially, could steer a far more 
profitable course than a lot of unorganized, or even 
wonderfully well organized, farmers in the matter of 
crop selection and marketing, just as veil as in 
construction, buying, etc*, etc. 

PLAN RECOIL ZENDED 

The conclusion follows that the best plan 
is to buy the land; put water on it; build all roads, 
civic centers, packing houses, etc*; establish an 
efficient marketing organization; attract and hold 
the best cla,ss of labor by a combination bonus-re¬ 
serve system; farm all the land as quickly and in¬ 
tensively as possible without necessitating a too 


great ’’peak labor load”; as bonus-reserves held by 
the company for the laborers become large enough to 
justify, lea.se small acreages to each good man 
building a house, barn, fences, etc., and furnishing 
stock and equipment; and have such leases contain 
option for purchase on easy terms# 

Such procedure would have several distinct 
advantages. It would provide a selected lot of 
settlers, which, together with the subconscious 
control afforded over the men, would practically 
entirely prevent failures on the tract* This is a 
feature of vital importance. Next, it would insure 






































high prices for lands sold, and entirely eliminate 
the selling costs* These latter now average more 
than 35 per cent of the selling price of land* It 
would do away with all the hardships of ’’pioneering’} 
and result in producing model communities - physical 

and sociological - quickly, with little or no econ- 

% 

omic waste. By Injuring additional land from time to 
time to replace that sold, the Syndicate Farm would 
continue as long as desired, and at the same time be 
generally regarded as an effective ,T back to the land” 
almost philanthropic - agency as much as a Syndicate* 
As a matter of fact, such a work would be 
not only profitable but of tremendous value to the 
commonwealth and would result in a grea,t service 
to the State. 


- 115 - 

I 



























CHAPTER VIII. 


ECONO'. Ri CAL far;: manage:3:NT COSTS AND RETURNS 
PRESENT STATUS 

The various Agricultural Colleges in the 
several states and the United States Government 
through the Department of Agriculture, working in 
part independently c*nd in part cooperatively, have 
acquired and disseminated an immense amount of inform 
ation regarding agricultural science. In the acquisi 
tion of scientific knowledge and methods, agriculture 
he.s kept pace with, if not gone ahead of, work in 
other technical lines. Nevertheless, so-called 
scientific farming has as yet made little impression 
on California fcrms, because educational and scienti¬ 
fic research institutions can no more train men for 


farm managemen t than similar institutions in other 
technical lines can train men for managing mining 
properties, railroads, electric power and lighting 
companies, etc. Technical graduates in other lines 
go from the educational institutions into operating 
companies, and by these are taught to apply and bring 
down to a commercial, practical, managerial basis the 
scientific information imparted in the schools. 
Efficiency is the keynote of the argument; the util¬ 
ization of by-products; producing, transporting, man¬ 


ufacturing and selling; 


e: 


,ctl- 


C l, S3 


he Standard Oil 


- 116 - 



































Company has done, and making, as it has made, the 

i 

combined profit in place of the single profit* 

The folioring estimates of maintenance and 
operating expenses, and of gross receipts for a large 
farm in the Sacramento Valley have been built up by 
the careful investigation and adjustment of inform¬ 
ation obtained from a great number of diverse sources 
and on as near as possible actual pre war costs. In 
making those estimates all labor c.nd team costs have 
been reduced to a basis of 8 actual hours per day on 
the work, .whereas the usual time at present is almost 
universally 10 hours. Wages have been taken at $2. 
per day per man, and $3.35 per day per team equipped 
with harness and necessary machinery. Thus one. man 
and two horses with harness and plow or rake or 
harrow or other agricultural implement is taken at 
$4.25 per day; 1 man and 4 horses at $6.50 per da}/-; 
and 1 man and 6 horses at $8.75 per day. The prices 
quoted are those at which 9 hours per day work in 
considerable quantities can under normal conditions 
be hired done on a force account basis through the 
entire Valley, the contractor to furnish and keep 
men, stock and farming equipment and assume all 
chances of delays account of bad weather, etc. 
Obviously such contractors make a fair profit, and 
therefore these figures must be amply safe. 

The yearly charge for irrigation water has 


- 117 - 


















/» 













































been taken at b3.CC per acre. Taxes have been assumed 
as 3 per cent on a valuation of s'75.00 per acre. 
Assessments generally era made on a basis of SO 
per cent of the selling value of farm property. Over¬ 
head charges are taken at 15 per cent of the operating 
costs exclusive of water rental, because the water 
rental of 53*00 per acre per annum on half the gross 
average will yield a fair profit on the operation of 
the water supply system as such. The maintenance and 
deterioration on farm structures is taken at 10 per 
cent. 

The gross returns from crops are on the basis 
of average yearly prices. The value .of farm products 
varies considerably throughout the year, due in large 
measure to the farmers being forced to borrow money 
on their crops and consequently tc sell the same im¬ 
mediately after harvesting. It is assumed in this 
project that the company will be financially able to 
sell its output solely with the idea of obtaining the 
greatest net return. The estimates presuppose the 
land to have been properly leveled, bordered, or 
provided with furrows in case of furrow irrigation, 
and that all checks, delivery boxes, drainage gates, 
etc., have been installed in the best possible manner 

to the end that the cost of operation and maintenance 

0 

will be a minimum, and that the water supply will be 
thoroughly satisfactory for the very best irrigation 


118 - 





























































. 
















• '• 

















. 











. 














. . 






. 
















' 













practice. 

ALFALFA 


Alfalfa has been grown for more than 2,000 
years. Experience shows it thrives best in the soil 
and climate of semi-arid and arid regions. The abun¬ 
dant sunshine, the warmth and the deep rich soil ■ ■* 

prevailing throughout the irrigable portion of the 
Sacramento Valley seem ideally suited to its require¬ 
ments. It is difficult to overestimate the importance 
of this crop to western farmers, because the yields 
are exceptionally hisii when irrigation, favorable 
climatic conditions, and proper treatment are com¬ 
bined, frequently 9 tons in 5 suttings being harvest¬ 
ed in California. This large tonnage together with 


its high feeding value and the fact that it is con¬ 
sumed by practically all farm animals, makes it not 
only a convenient and useful crop to the grower, but 
a highly profitable one as well. In addition, it 
cannot be excelled as a, preparatory crop on soils 
the productiveness of which has been impaired by 
continuous grain cultivation, and it likewise 


maintains the fertility of soils naturally rich in 
plant food so that if used as a base of rotation it 
makes possible very abundant crop yields of various 
kinds. In Bulletin 110, Experiment Station of the 
University of Colorado, a statement is made that the 
fertilizing value of the stubble and roots of mature 


- 119 - 












V 






























alfalfa plants is approximately $35.00 per acre when 

♦ 

measured by the commercial value of artificial fer¬ 
tilizers on the market. In spite of its present 
importance and great value in irrigation farming, 
the profits in alfalfa production can be greatly 
increased if more skill and care are exercised, be¬ 
cause generally speaking the western irrigator has 
seldom been able, financially, to dig his ditches 
and prepare his fields in such a way as to insure 
the most efficient irrigation and the highest returns* 

Alfalfa is planted in the Sacramento Valley 
in Spring, and about 13 months later is ready to have 
its first crop taken, and thereafter, produces regular¬ 
ly for from 8 to 20 years, depending upon the character 
of the soil, without any diminution of output, if 
properly handled. 

Cost of Production 

The handling and cost of each operation in 


alfalfa production are: 

(Table No. 33.) 


First Year Per Acre 

Plow in -larch, 1 man and 6 horses plow 

5 acres per day, $8.75 *5.$ 1*75 

Harrowing in 1 larch, 1 man and 6 horses 

12 acres per day, $8.75 4- 12 * « . . .73 

Clod smashing in March,1 man and 6 horses 
smash 10 acres per dav,$8.75 4 10. ♦ .87 

Seed, 15 lbs. per acre @ 20£ per lb. . 3.00 

Drilling, April 1-10, 1 man and 2 horses 

drill 10 acres per day, $4.50 4 10 . .45 

Clod smashing, April 1-15, ...... .88 

1st Irrigation, 2 men can irrigate 20 

acres per day, $4 4 20 . ...... .C_y. 

Carried for ward 7.88 

- 120 - 










» 































Cont * d) 


(Table No. 33. 

Brought Forward 7.88 

Light Harrowing, Hay 5-20, 1 man and 4 

horses’ can harrow 12 acres per day, 

$6.50 + 12.. . . *54 

2nd Irrigation. .20 

3rd Irrigation. ............. .20 

Cut with mowers, Aug. 1-15, 1 man and 2 

horses can cut 10 acres in a day, 

$4.25+10 . .43 

(This cutting not worth raking 

4th Irrigation... . *80 

Annual Water rental ........... 3.00 

.. 

Total expense of Farm Operation .... <*13.60 
Taxes, 3 per cent on valuation of 


Maintenance and deterioration on 

farm structures, 1 0°/o on $13.50. 1.25 4.20 


Total Cost first year .......... $16.8o 


121 - 















•\ : 

























34.) 


(Tc.ble No. 


Second Year: 


Amount forward from first year 


Pe 


Aon 




$16 « 83 


Cut with mower, April 30 to 80 * . . 

Rake, April 31 to -Jay 31, 1 man and 3 
horses can rake 80 acres 
per day,$4.33 ; 3C. . * . 

Cocking, 1 man can c ock from windrow 
10 tons per day and 1-1/2 tons 
per acre, $3, * 10 x 1-1/3 . . . . 

Hauling off, Apr. 33 to Hay 35, 8 men 

and 9 horses can haul and store 35 
tons t'sr dear 538.13 * 35x 1-1/3. 

First irrigation, Apr. 38 to Hay 38. . 

Second Harvesting, June 30 to Aug* 1 * 

Third irrigation and harvesting. * * . 

Fourth r! ” " . . . . 

Fifth " " ” * * . . 

Sixth ” " " . t * . 

Annual water rental...... . * . , 


4 


.43 


4 30 


.30 


1.56 

.03 

3.50 

2.55 
3 ♦ 55 

3.55 

2.55 
3.00 


Total cost of second year farm operations$18.35 

Taxes, 2$ on 575. .. 1.50 

Overhead charges, 15$ on $15.35. «... 2.30 

Maintenance and deterioration farm 

structures. ..... .. 1.35 23.30 


Total cost first and second year .... $ 50.15 

Value of crop second year. ....... 49.00 

Net return.. ^ 1.15 

Cost per annum thereafter.. 33.30 


Value of crop. .... .. 49.00 

Net return per annum. . .. $ 25.70 


Life, of field estimated at 10 years when it should 


- 123 - 


be replanted* 





















► 






4 


» * 



► • 


• » # 


This figure, $30 to $31 net returns per acre 
per annum on alfalfa, are rather shown to be conserva¬ 
tive, by the actual rental price for alfalfa through¬ 
out the State generally, and this region in particular, 
m Imperial Valley, where money is still on an 8 and 10 
per cent oasis, many alfalfa ranches with practically 
no other improvements are renting for $15 to Cl8 per 
acre per year. Much of this land is used for dairying. 
In the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts much 
alfalfa is rented also for dairying. Two concrete 
instances of many are given. 

Mr. C. L, Jones of Medesto rented 3S6 acres 
in alfalfa situation 4 miles east of Modesto for a 
period of 10 years for $35,000 cash, paid when the 
lease was signed. This is equivalent - algebraically 
calculated to - $16. per acre per annum, taking in¬ 
terest at 6 per cent* 

Mr* John Crow, Director of the Bank of New¬ 
man, leased 196 acres 3 l/3 miles from Crow’s Landing 
on the Southern Pacific Railroad 7 miles north of New¬ 
man for a period of five years for $4,000 per annum, 
cash payable in advance. This is at the rate of 
$30.41 per acre. This tract has very inexpensive im¬ 
provements. The lessee is. a Portuguese and used the 

* 

land for dairying. 

Many owners prefer to lease on the shares, 
claiming to receive more that way, on the average in 













that region $23 per 
ALFAL FA ~'IEAL HILLS 


Concerning the value of loose alfalfa hay, it 
is to os noted that severed alfalfa meal mills have made 
ten-year contracts with farmers in the vicinity for the 
entire outputs of hay at $7.00 per ton delivered at the 
mills. These mills obviously operate at a profit and 
C03j ou ^ a bout ^13,000 to $15,000 for daily outputs of 
55 tons* It would, therefore, doubtless be desirable 
to erect and operate one or more such plants# 

Alfalfa meal mills grind alfalfa into a meal 
which is sacked and either fed to stock in that form or 
made into stock food. The loss in producing alfalfa 
meal from alfalfa % hay is less than one per cent by 
weight* 


Alfalfa meal is now quoted at $17.50 a ton 
f.o.b. San Francisco, at which price the mills make 
$1,25 profit over and above all expenses with hay 
figured at $10*00 per ton. 

Alfalfa meal is also mixed about 85% alfalfa 
meal, 10% low grade molasses and 5% distillery grain, 
etc., the proportions being slightly varied, into 
horse food, cattle food, poultry food, etc. There are 
probably a dozen alfalfa meal mills in California and 
two mills near San Francisco which manufacture alfalfa 
meal into various stock and poultry foods. 


- 124 - 





I 


Alfalfa meal is as standard and permanent a 
product as wheat flour. The price of hay in the field 
varies from season to season, depending upon the 
quantity produced, which in turn depends under present 
conditions upon the seasonal rainfall* The opportunity 
for profit in being: financially strong enough to hold 
back alfalfa meal for satisfactory if not the highest 
prices is obvious* 

Plowing, harrowing, clod smashing, drilling 
etc*, can be more cheaply done by the use of oil 
tractors than with horses, figures on actual results 
indicate that the cost of plowing will be somewhere 
between 75y and $1*35 per acre, including deterioration 
repairs, fuel, operating costs, etc*, liberally figured 
and it seems certain the latter figure is high* 
Accordingly the foregoing cost figures are certainly 
conservative and quite easily attainable on any tracts 
exceeding 1,000 acres* 

BARLEY 

Some acreage of a grain crop such as barley 
is usually put in on a farm to provide grain feed for 
work stock and to finish off cattle and hogs for market 
In the Sacramento Valley a crop of at least 15 sacks 
per acre can be raised without irrigation* If the land 
is properly prepared and irrigation used the returns 
will be some greater, but the land there has been so 



\ 




i ' 


t. 


\ 


i 


i 





» . . 


V 




continuously devoted to grain culture as to make its 
productivity therefor low. This land if put in 
alfalfa for five or six years and then plowed up and 
planted to barley with irrigation will yield at least 
30 sacks per acre* 

In the following it is assumed that the land 
as it stands without preparation and without the use 
of any irrigating water will be planted to Barley in 
March, the crop harvested in July, and the stubble 
then pastured by stock. 




-136- 































(Table No* 35.) 

Cost of Grain Production 

The handling and cost of each operation are 
as follows.* 

Plowing t *.... ,$1.75 

Drilling seed, -larch 10 to April 10 ...... . *45 

Seed for sowing, 100 lbs. $1.50 *.1.50 

Harvesting with combined harvester, 

4... men and 33 horses can 
harvest' 30 acres per day, 

$33.75 v 3u • » . .» . • . . . . . . » .1*64 

Sacks, 15 @ 7(p .1.05 

Haul off, July 10 to 30, 1 man and 

6 horses c.an haul 400 sacks 

a day, $8.75 x 15 4 400. .33 

$6.73 

Water rental.... . 3.00 

$9.73 

Overhead charges on $6.75 @ 15% . . . . » . . . . 1.00 

Maintenance and deterioration on 

farm structures 10$ on $13.50* . . . . .1.35 

Taxes, 3$ on valuation of $75. ... . .... . 1.50 

Total.$13.48 

Returns 

15 sacks of 112 lbs. is 1680 lbs. 

% $1.10 per 100 lbs. . ...$18.48 

Pasturing 1 value of stubble . ......... 1 ♦ 00 

519748 

Net Return . ...... «..,.$ 6.00 

If water rental is not charged . . 5.00 

Net Return. . ,.......$ 9.00 


-137- 






























f I 









CORN 


Agricultural experts agree that corn can he 
as successfully cultivated in California as in the 
Middle West corn producing states, but only with the 
use of irrigation water in the latter part of the 
Summer and early Fall, 

It is believed that the production of corn 
on a commercial scale should be experimented with, and 
there seems no reason why it should not be a profitable 
and staple crop of great importance in finishing hogs 
and cattle for the market* 

LIVE STOCK 

The most profitable disposition of alfalfa, 
and grain is to have the same utilized upon the property 
through the raising of hogs, cattle, mules, etc. The 
pasturing of alfalfa, except for very short periods of 
time, causes a deterioration in the stand. In spite of 
this fact it is the usual thing to pasture alfalfa a 
part of the year and cut it for hay the balance of the 
time. By so doing the profitable life of a stand of 
alfalfa is reduced to 8 or 10 years. Hogs must be 
pastured a considerable portion of the time, and there¬ 
fore the raising of hogs rather than other stock is 
more expensive per ton of alfalfa consumed. There is 
no need for pasturing cattle, horses or mules, but on 
the contrary they do better when the alfalfa is brought 


to them. 


-138- 








One acre of alfalfa producing 7 tons per 
annum will feed 8 hogs, 1.2 head of cattle, 1.3 horses 
and 1,5 mules. Sheep and goats are so cheaply produced 
in California by ranging on public lands, in the Nation¬ 
al Forests, or on very cheap mountain grazing lands, 
that their production on irrigated land is not profit¬ 
able. To a lesser extent the same thing is true of 
cattle, although in practically every part of Calif¬ 
ornia, other than natural feed must be provided for 
cattle approximately half the time, or during the six 
dry months of the year. Dairy stock must obviously be 
handled exclusively on irrigated land to secure maximum 
returns. 

Horses are not as profitable to raise as mules 
because slight blemishes reduce the value of an animal 
so much. They are less hardy and require more care in 
their raising than mules. 

The practical stock raising possibilities, 
therefore, are limited to hogs, mules, finishing range 
cattle, and dairying. 

HOGS 

Broadly speaking, eight hogs, counting the 
various sizes actually found in hog raising throughout 
the year, can subsist on an acre of good alfalfa land. 
Taking the gross returns, given under the heading 
"ALFALFA" at £49.00' per acre, or £7.00 per ton, this 

makes the cost of food £6.125 per annum and attendance 

-129-r 



r* ■ 

* *. * 





‘j 









rf 


tf0.75, making a total cost per annum of $8,875 per liog« 
At the end of twelve months they will average 150 pounds 
in weight, and have an average selling grioe at the 
nearest railroad station of 7 <p per pound gross, or 
110♦50 per hog# The cost of production is $6,875 per 
year, leaving a net profit of $3,625 per animal, or 
8 times that, or $29*00 per acre, plus $30*68 profit 
on alfalfa, or $49*38 per acre of alfalfa* 

Such results cannot he obtained in practice 
because sometimes hog cholera and other diseases are 
to be expected* These troubles can be largely obviated 
by scientific handling, but assuming no better results 
than are usual throughout the State at this time, a. 
reduction of 10 per cent would be more than safe. This 
leaves $44*68 per acre per annum net return. The 
damage done the alfalfa field by pasturing may amount 
to $4.00 per annum per acre, making the final net return 
about $40.70 


MULES 

One mule can be raised to the best advantage 
on 2/3 of an acre of alfalfa, or 2/3 of $49.00, # or 
$32.67 per annum per mule. The cost of attendance, 
shelter, etc., will not exceed $5.00 per year, making 
a. total cost of $37.67 per head per annum. At the end 
of three years, the animal can be sold for at least 
$175,000 The 3 years' cost of the animal will be 

$175.00 - $113.00 is $63.00 

-130- 


3 x $37.67 or $113.01. 



i 






for the 3 year period, or §30.67 profit per animal per 
annum. 20.67 x 1 l/3 is §31,00 per acre per annum, 
plus $30.68 profit on alfalfa makes §51.68 total 
profit per acre of alfalfa. 

Mules are very hardy and sensible animals, 
emd the losses due to accidents, deterioration, etc., 
are quits small. Assuming the general average through- 
out the State, however, as 10 per cent of the profits, 
there results a net profit of §46.51 per acre of 
alfalfa used for mule raising per annum. 

FINISHING RANGE CATTLE FOR BEEF CATTLE 

The best way to utilize alfalfa land in the 
production of beef cattle is to buy range cattle when 
the feed on the ranges fails, about September, and 
carry them for about four months on alfalfa, at which 
time they can be sold for 1 l/40 per pound more on 
their gross weight than they can be bought for four 
months earlier. Two tons of hay, or §14.00 will be 
consumed by each animal, and two men and two horses 
will feed 150 head of cattle throughout the period. 

Two men ..and two horses will cost §6.25 or at the rate 
of 1.40 per day per animal, or §1.68 per animal for 
the four months period. Thus the total cost of each 
head of stock will be §15.68. 

The grain during this period will be 300 
pounds. Range animals average in weight in September 


131- 

















900 pounds. The average price for a number of normal 
price years he.s been 4 l/2<p* 900 x .045, or $40.50, 

from the value at sale time, or 1100 x .0575, or 
$63.35, leaves a difference of $33.75. The cost of ' 
the animal’s keep during this period is $15.68, to 
which must be added (0.81, being four months 1 interest 
at 6 per cent on $40.50, or $16.49. The net profit per 
animal therefore will be $6.36* Each animal will 
consume 3/7 of the product of an acre of alfalfa, so 
that, used in this way, alfalfa will mean a profit 
of $31.91 per annum per acre, plus $30.68 profit on 
alfalfa, or $43.57 profit per acre of alfalfa. 

dairying 

As has been pointed out, stock raising on 
alfalfa cannot successfully compete with grazing methods 
of growing beef cattle, but dairy herds must obviously 
be on alfalfa or other forage crops or pasturage all 
the time. 1.3 cows can be most economically and 
profitably kept per acre of alfalfa, while one man 
to 30 cows throughout the entire year will care for 
and milk them and get the milk to the nearby creamery. 
Dairy men will cost, including their sustenance, $60 
per month. The cost of dairy cattle per annum,there¬ 
fore, is .833 x $49, or $50.83 per year for feed, e,nd 
$36 per year for attendance, making a total of $76.83. 
Each cow will produce throughout the year an average 


-133- 













e ^ - , 


' * ‘ ■ 



of uA pounds of milk daily for 300 days each year, 
or 7,200 pounds, 3 1 /Z per cent of this will be butter 
fat, or 252 pounds with a Value of 30 cents per pound, 
or #75,70. The balance, separator milk, fed to hogs 
is worth .3 cent, or 6948 x .003 equals $20.84. Total 
annual output of such animal, therefore, is $95.44. 
Subtracting $76.83, there is $19,61 per animal, or 
19..61 x 1,2, or $23*53 profit per acre of alfalfa 
used in dairy stock per annum* The herd will produce 
sufficient calves to maintain itself, and something in 
addition. Such increase can be utilized to increase 
the herd or can be sold. This source of revenue is 
not herein considered, nor is any consideration given 
to the sale of certified milk which, relatively speak¬ 
ing, will return a greater profit than in using the 


produce as above suggested* The total net profits 
from dairying on good alfalfa land average $40 per 
acre, and often undoubtedly exceed that amount. 
(Compare with figures in Chapter X, Table No. 49.) 


POULTRY 

Turkeys, chicken and guinea- hens thrive to 
the ver Tr best advantage by running over alfalfa. 

They feed almost exclusively on the bugs and flies, 
and the forage they consume is in considerable measure 
compensated by the incree-sed produce due to the smaller 
number of insects upon the plants. They run about 
the corrals and not only get food therein without 


- 133 - 





cost, but act as scavengers to no s.mal 
ce.re required uhder sued circumstances 
given in addition to other farm duties 
unless a relatively larae number are o- 


1 deerree. The 
is easily 
of employees 
Town, in which 


case the extra costs they entail are almost exclusively 
due to collecting and racking eggs, crating live fouls, 
etc., for market. It is not deemed desirable to 
make any estinmates of profits of such side issues, but 


eq-gs sell to dealers for an average of 333 per dozen 
throughout the year, and dressed turkeys, chickens 
and guinea hens at an average of about 183 pe° pound, 
so that the item as a, matter of fact is really of 
large importance, a<ni most good farmers in this way 
pay a considerable part or all their household 


expenses throughout the year.’ 
SUGAR BEETS 


While practically all classes of soil from 
the heavy black adobe to the sandy loam and river 
silts are suitable for the culture of sugar beets, 
yet taken all together the best soil for this crop is 
a clay loam, of good depth, which contains sufficient 
sand or silt to allow its being worked into a finely 
divided condition - just such soil as is found in the 
bottom lands of the Sacramento Valley. The California 
climate is peculiarly favorable, since the absence of 
rain at the time of harvesting, permitting beets to 
mature, is an important factor. Approximately 3/3 of 


- 134 - 





V 














J •' 




American beet sugar is produced in the irrigated 
sections of the West, and the industry’s greatest 
development will doubtless be there. The need of its 
extension in the United States is shown by the fact 
that 75 per cent of the sugar consumed in the United 
States is imported, and the area on which sugar cane 
can be grown in the country is limited to a comparative¬ 
ly small region bordering upon the Gulf of Mexico# 

The first sugar beet factory established in 
the United States was at Alvarado, California, in 1879, 
and this plant has been in successful operation ever 
since, being controlled by the Alameda Sugar Company, 
of San Francisco. The American Beet Sugar Co.., of 
Oxnard; the Spreckels Company near Salinas are also 
operating on a large scale. Indeed, these have been 
forced to annually plant on leased land something over 
50,000 acres to supply the demand for sugar beets. 

From information chiefly obtained from these companies, 
based upon an experience extending over a number of 
years, and growing very large acreage, it ha.s been found 
that the cost of sugar beet culture on irrigated land, 
exclusive of taxes, interest, and deterioration of farm 
buildings, fences, etc., is- #30.00 per annum. These 
figures have been checked ’with the costs arrived at 
by Dr. E. J, Wickson, Dean of the College of Agriculture 
of the University of California, and by F. W. Roeding 
of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in Farmers 1 


- 135 - 





I 



»• ■ * ' r 









»•** 


Bulletin 392, based upon the results obtained from a 
large number of individual growers. The production 
under satisfactorv conditions is stated by Mr. Roeding 
to be 17 tons per acre as a conservative average for 
growers who do good farming, and that yields as high 
as 33 tons per acre have been observed by him,and 
that 25 tons are not unusual. The Alameda Sugar Co* 
normally pays $5.00 per ton for sugar beets on board 
cars at the nearest station in the Sacramento Valley. 

17 tons at $5.00 is §85*00 per acre gross, less $30*00 
cost of farm operations, giving a difference of $55,00 
per acre profit. Assuming taxes at 2 per cent on 
$75.00, interest at 6 per cent on $30.00, and deter¬ 
ioration of farm buildings, etc., at $1.25, making’a 
total of $16.25 for these items, the net annual 
returns become $38.75. 

BEANS 

# 

Venture. County, California, is world famed 
for its Lima Beans, the production of which is so 
profitable as to displace beet growing, the net re¬ 
turns being stated as exceeding $100 per acre. Because 
of the climatic conditions the Sacramento Valley is 
better suited to the production of large White, Pink, 
Bayo and Black-eye Beans. The acreage of these is 
comparatively small and confined largely to the Delta 
area. It is believed with irrigation large areas in 


- 136 - 



. <. 

















* <4 s 


l 




the Centre-1 Valley as a whole will be found suitable 
for bean culture. 

RICE 

Rice growing in the Sacramento Valley has 
passed the experimental stage and has within the past 
4 or 5 years become an established industry. It is 
safe to say that because "overflow lands” e-re nearly 
level, their preparation for irrigation will not 
exceed an average cost of $15 per a-cre. In general it 
may be said that the best soil type for rice is a medium 
loam containing about 50$ of clay and underlaid by a 
hardpan or clay which will retain water. 

Leveling and checking the fields cannot be 
done as with alfalfa or other irrigated crops, because 
it is necessary that the v/ater stand on the field at a 
uniform depth throughout* Consequently, the greatest 
care is necessary in leveling the land. At the same 
time, the fields must have such drainage possibilities 
as will permit removing the water quickly at the proper 
time, so that checks must be made relatively small with 
an inlet from the irrigation ditch and an outlet into 
the drainage ditch from each check. Ordinarily the 
checks are from 2 to 5 acres in size, the borders 
being as low as possible and very broad on the bottom 
so that ordinary harvesting machinery can be used with 
comparative ease. The seed bed is prepared very much 
as for ordinary cereals. 


- 137 - 





•* • ~ / '“ 




'J 




- ; r 


" f 


:*( * • 


> 





* 


•' J 





f - 


t • / 



L V 





» 


• r 







For cl while the rice grows as a dry land 
plant, and then changes its habits to a water plant, 
after which the ground is flooded* The schedule 
followed near Chico - about 40 miles from Sacramento - 
is as follows: During April and the early part of May 
the ground is kept thoroughly wet, then to the latter 
part of May water held one inch deep, then to the 
latter part of August gradually increasing up to e-bout 
five inches in depth. 3eccuu.se of the low humidity 
in the Sacramento Valley as compared with that in other 
rice growing sections of the United States, it is 
necessary to use a much larger amount of water for ir¬ 
rigation. While in Louisiana 4 acre-feet per acre 
suffices for producing a crop, it seems to require up 
to S or 7 acre-feet in the Sacramento Valley. 

Rice is harvested with a self-binder and 
shocked, being left in the shock until the straw is 
cured and the grain is hard. Then the kernels are 
threshed out by ordinary threshing outfits and bagged, 
the rice being thoroughly dried before sacking. 

While it is too early to form any definite 
conclusions as to what yield may be expected under Cal¬ 
ifornia conditions with general and la,rge continued 
croppings, it can be certainly said that the experience 
to date gives promise of excellent results. There are 
numerous fields producing as high a-s 4,000 pounds per 


- 138 - 






• % > 














? 

. 1 . 



acre and in a. few small fields yields as high as 
7,000 and even 7500 pounds per acre were recorded* 
The average is about 3,000 pounds which has a value 
to the grower of 3 cents or §60# 

The total amount of plant food removed per 


acre by rice culture, and the distribution of the 
soil draft between the pla,nt food elements is about 
the same as wheat culture. Continued rice cropping 
soon develops an undesirable water logged soil con¬ 
dition, so that there is great necessity for providing 
for quick and thorough drainage at the close of the 
irrigating season and the use of drainage furrows to 
take care of surplus water during winter rains. There 
is also more than ordinary necessity for crop rotation 
because of the difficulties which arise from such 
continued flooding of the lands, and it is necessary 
to make use of every means of soil aeration to maintain 
the fertility for many years* Probably it will be 
found undesirable in California to grow ,rice on the 
same land oftener than once in 3 years, rotating with 
beans, corn, cow peas, etc., in order that nitrogen, 
on which rice makes an unusually heavy draft, may be 
replenished in the soil, aside from the mechanized 
amelioration of the ground. Furthermore, there is 
considerably more labor required for the growing of 
rice than of wheat or barley. 


- 138 - 





'• . 






1 { ' 


















Several years ago the United States Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture began experiments on the culture 
of rice in California and this industry has rapidly 
developed as one of the big new leading crops. In 
1910 a few experimental plantings yielded well; in 
1913, 1300 acres were planted yielding 3,500,000 pounds. 
In 1917 it is estimated that the acreage planted to 
this cereal is over 90,000 acres, - 90 per cent of this 
in the Sacramento Valiev with Glenn Countv as the 

j j 

general center* 

COTTON 

Somewhat similar is the remarkable develop¬ 
ment of Cotton culture almost wholly in Imperial County 
although Palo Verde and the San Pasqual Valleys along 
the Colorado River are gaining in importance, and 
plantings on the bottom lands of the San Joaquin and 
Sacramento Valleys indicate that this crop may be 
profitable on much of the irrigated land in the Central 
Valley * 

In the past few years this industry has grown 
until in 1918 the State produced over 70,000 bales. 

The average yield per acre is much higher than the 
average in the South and the quality considerably 
better. 


-139a- 













# 








POTATOES 


Excellent qualities of both Irish and sweet 
potatoes are grown in the Sacramento Valley, the pro¬ 
duction per a^cre being extraordinarily large as 
measured by Eastern and Middle West experience. In¬ 
asmuch as these crops require a very large amount of 
labor per acre as compared with alfalfa growing, stock 
raising and dairying, so that the results obtained 
depend to such a large extent upon human labor as 
well as on soil and climate, it has not been deemed 
interesting to give in this report figures as to the 
results obtained from their culture; 

GARDEN TRUCK 

Some time in the future a err eat deal of truck 
gardening will be done upon the land included in any of 
the projects presented in this report. A great deal 
of the land behind levees bordering: on the Sacramento 
River today rents for $35.00 cash per acre per annum 
on long time leases* At present river transportation 
facilities give such lands an advantage over others in 
the valley. 

ORCHARDS 

California orchards are of two classes,those 
producing citrus fruits and those producing deciduous 
fruits and nuts. In the foothill fringe of the 
Sacramento Valley citrus fruits do equally as well 


- 140 - 












t 


\ ^ 


.: Lj 






&s the famous oranse, lemon and grapefruit groves in 
Southern California; indeed the climatic conditions 
are such that oranges are ready for shipment a month 
earlier than in Southern California. This fact will 
doubtless be something of a shock to most people, ’"'ho 
have regarded Southern California as the best locality 
in the State for citrus fruit growing, but it is well 
authenticated and established by years of experience* 
Citrus fruits have not been grown on an extensive 
scale in the Sacramento Valley because their cultiva-'. 
tion requires irrigation. There seems to be no other 
reason, because a few of the most profitable orchards 
in the State are located in and around Palermo and 
Oroville, belonging in the main to the Hearst and 
Haggin Estates and to W# P. Hammon, the well-known 
gold dredging man. The disastrous cold snap, a few 
’years ago, which did many millions of dollars .worth of 
damawe to the citrus industry of Southern California, 
caused practically no damage whatever to citrus fruits 
in the Sacramento Valley. This is due partly to the 
fruit here having been harvested and shipped weeks 
before; partly to not so low a temperature occurring; 
and partly, it is beginning to be believed, to the 
fact that there is more of a real winter season, during 
which the trees have no sap running and no new growths 
starting* 


- 141 - 




s 





' •.') ■ 


• !' 


. » 




i'x ' 






\ 



■" n 


v -■ 


* ..... .. 


. V : 


,A 






I 




Slight differences in soil and climate have 
unexpectedly large influence on the development of 
citrus fruits, but immense quantities of land in the 
Sacramento Valley are undoubtedly ideally fitted for 
such culture. Oranges, lemons, olives and grapefruit 
are usually planted on the low, rolling foothills 
where the freedom from frost seems greatest. 

CITRUS FRUIT ORCHARDS 

Land for citrus fruit has, in most parts of 

the State, started with a valuation of about £50 per 

acre, and by application of water in satisfactory 

ways, that is, as to quantity and time, has advanced to 

about vJlOO per acre. When some production has been 
% 

secured and packing and shipping facilities locally 
provided, the price of the adjacent bare land with 
water is usually increased to from £300 to £600 per acre. 

In a rough way, the best general comparative 
figures available are those for the gross returns 
from fruit orchards - good, bad and indifferent - for 
the entire State as given for 1913 by Dr. E. J« 

Wickson, of the University of California, in the follow¬ 
ing table: 

(Table No. 36.) 

Gross Value Acre 

Acreage Of Product Average 
Citrus Tree Fruits . . .149,531 $18,163,376 Cl 32.00 

Deciduous Tree Fruits. .314,838 37,830,860 88.00 


Nuts . 51,413 1,400,000 37.40 

Grapes ........ .381,348 13,500,000 44.50 


-143- 














: ■ x ‘ 


? 


T 














This includes all acreage reported, both 
bearing and not yet at bearing age, and also includes 
everything - good, bad and indifferent orchards - from 
ail parts of the State, some localities of which are 
not at all adapted to produce the kinds of fruits 
planted there. 

Dr, Wickson explains the low acreage value of 
nuts as being due to the irregular bearing of the 
almond account a large acreage being in frosty places> 
and to the large acreage of walnuts not yet in bearing 
age* As a matter of fact, a very marked tendency of 
the American people is toward a decreasing amount of 
meat and an increasing amount of vegetables and nuts, 
which has resulted in the price of walnuts and almonds 
gradually increasing to about 100 per cent*advance 
during the past 10 years. Indeed, today it is very 
questionable whether an English walnut grove in full 
bearing is not more profitable from every point of view 
and a safer investment than a fully developed orange 
orchard* 

At the same time Prof# Wickson points out 
that oranges during the past 19 vears have been un¬ 
iformly profitable; that while each of the various 
deciduous fruits has in some year of large yield and 
high prices reached about the same extreme of £750,00 
per acre, the extreme for oranges has been £'1,000,00. 


-143- 











1 





per acre gross value of product; and that the average 
return for orange trees in full bearing is considerably 
higher than for deciduous fruits* 

The actual outlay in bringing orange, lemon, 
olive and grapefruit orchards to bearing age (for all 
these fruits are practically alike in this respect) 
varies considerably with local conditions, but the 
same authority - Prof. Wickson - who has been intimately 
connected with the horticulture of the State for the 
past 25 years, gives the following as a conservative 
average cost, not including the first cost of the 
land, interest on the investment or taxes during the 
period: 

(Table No. 37.) 


Plowing. .., . . 4.00 

Grading for irrigation ..10.00 

Flumes, etc., for water distribution ....... 25.00 

Trees (average number and price) ..75.00 

Planting and protection from sunburn . 10.00 

Cultivating, irrigating, including 
water, pruning, etc. 

1st year .. 30.00 

2nd year .. 40*00 

3rd year ... ...... 60.00 

4th year .. 65.00 

5th year ... . 70.00 


Average Cost for Five Years.$51.00. 

These figures are based upon the same cost of 
labor and teams as the estimate on the cost of alfalfa 
production given above. It allows in the first year 
for re-planting the average number of trees which fail 
to develop properly, and the later estimates include 


-144- 















»» 






’ 



.A 


¥ 

.‘J 








v 



+ * 


< 


4 t 




» « 


* 


V « f * 


* It # ^ 


* 4 


4 4 1 * i 


» * 1» 



l« 




4 




r 


</ 





the usual outlay for fertilizer and for the average 
amount of protection required against insects and 
fungus parasites. It is reasonable to expect 150 
boxes of fruit in the fourth and fifth years taken 
together, but it is conservative practice to consider 
these as required to offset unexpected cost in pro¬ 
tecting trees from diseases, parasites and other con¬ 
tingencies. Prof* Wickson has taken the foregoing from 
records of actual cases collected during many years 
of experience in all the sections of the State, the 
lowest of which records was an average of y30.00 per 
acre per annum for 5 years, and the highest an average 
outlay of 055*00 per acre per annum for 5 years* The 
difference in cost is largely due to variation in out¬ 
lays required to obtain water, efficiency of man¬ 
agement and labor, and different standards of what 
constitutes good work. 

The tables herewith have been carefully 
compiled in order to determine the cost of oranges 
and olives, and are believed to be indicative of 
what may be obtained by careful management. 


OLIVES 


The cost of an olive grove is practically 


the same as of an orange grove in swite of the fact 
that it takes about three years longer, or a total 
age of eight years, to be satisfactorily productive. 


- 145 - 









The returns will be from 2 to 3 tons of 
olives, for which contracts are now being made for 
five year periods at ^90.00 per ton on the trees* 

That is v!80 to f 270.00 per acre gross* 

DECIDUOUS FRUIT ORCHARDS 

There are relatively small variations in the 
assential cost of different kinds of deciduous fruits, 
chiefly in the amount of pruning* The cost of trees 
of standard varieties vary greatly from year to year, 
because the demand is largely conditional upon prices 
of different fruits the preceding year, and nurserymen 
cannot determine the relative number they should grow 
of each variety quickly enough to meet the demand. 

In this way trees range from £ : 10«00 to 020*00 per 
hundred. The consensus of experience in California 
according to Prof. Hickson is that deciduous fruit 
trees of early bearing varieties like the peach and 
apricot can be brought to bear for one-fifth the cost 
required to bring orange trees to the same stage. In 
the third and fourth years these early bearing trees 
often produce a sufficient crop to cover all expenses 
of the orchard planting theretofore incurred other 
than the cost of the land. Apple, cherry, pear and 
plum trees could not be counted upon for such quick 
returns. On the other hand, the cost of peach and 
apricot orchards would be somewhat greater in the second 
and third years because of the labor of pruning and 


- 146 - 











1 















this increased cost would continue during the hearing 
period because almonds, apples, cherries, pears and 
prunes are not pruned back so hard as apricots and 
peaches require* In irrigating deciduous fruits fewer 
applications of water are made and the water is dis¬ 
tributed in fewer furrows, so that much less prepara¬ 
tion of the land for irrigation is required. 

The cost of almond orchards at first is much 
like that of the peach, but after the third year is 
less than other fruits because of slight pruning which 
is usually done. The cost of walnut orchards differs 
from other deciduous orchards in that the high initial 
cost of the trees, especially when grafted trees are 
used, is not fully compensated by the smaller number 
of trees per acre. The walnut orchard, however, being 
planted at much greater distances between trees - 
usually 50 feet - and having deep, penetrating roots, 
allows an intergrowth such as alfalfa without retarding 
the development of the orchard as is the case with 
other kinds of trees* On such deep, rich land as 
walnuts should have, it is possible by means of inter¬ 
culture to bring trees to bearing at no increase in 
cost over other deciduous trees, though the period be¬ 
fore bearing is considerably longer, about 8 years* 
Prof. Wickson gives the following as an average cost 
of deciduous orchard production throughout the State: 


- 147 - 


; t: 













(Table No, 38.) 


Per Acre 


Plowing, harrowing and laying off., $3,50 

Planting (In furrow marks). . ..... 2.50 

Cost.of Trees (average 100 per acre).15.00 

Cultivating and Pruning, first year ...... 5,00 

" " second year ..... 8.00 

third year.10.00 

" " fourth year* .... . 11.00 

Total to end of fourth year* .... .... ,$55*00 


Thus the investment in an orchard of de¬ 
ciduous fruit at the beginning of the fifth year would 
be: 


Four Years 1 care...$55.00 

Interest on that sum for average 

of 2 years @ 6 per cent . , * . . . « . . 6.60 


Taxes at 2 per cent per annum on $100 valuation 

with accrued interest at 6 per cent* . . . 8*50 

$70.10 

To this must be added the original cost of 
land and water, buildings, fencing, etc., and interest 
thereon for a period of four years* 

The net annual return - gross return less 
annual cost of operation, including water charges, taxes, 
etc., but not interest on the investment - will var}/ 
from $25,00 to $450.00 with good orchards, and have 
an average of $40.00 to $60.00 per annum* 

VINEYARDS 

The cost of young vineyards is quite variable , 
depending upon the different ways of starting which 
are chosen by the individual growers. Prof. Wickson 
states that after very careful examination it has been 


- 148 - 




















* * $ 








found there is very little difference in the cost per 
acre of bringing deciduous trees and grape vines to a 
bearing age - that is to say, that with cheap work 
each costs about the same amount, while with the very 
best work each may rise to about the same figure. 
Roughly speaking, a vineyard on its own roots, as in 
the case of Tokays and Sultaninas, should pay for 
cultivation during the third year and be profitable the 
fourth year, whereas vineyards on grafted resistant 
roots are usually slower in making returns and re¬ 
quire increased outlay* 

in general, therefore, the investment in a 
vineyard at the beginning of the fourth year would be 
about $70., to which must be added the original cost 
of land and water, buildings, fencings, etc., and the 
interest thereon for a period of three years. 

The net annual return - gross return less 
annual cost of operation, including water charges, 
taxes, etc., but not interest on the investment, is 
generally from $10. to $100. with good vineyards, and 
have an average of $20. to $25, per annum* 

DEFICIENCY IN LOCAL PRODUCE PRODUCTION 

California does not yet produce enough butter, 
cheese, eggs and poultry particularly, for its own con¬ 
sumption. At the request of the writers the Traffic 
Department of the Southern Pacific Company very kindly 
compiled the following tables of tonnage moving into 


- 149 - 




















California for the years ending June 30, 1911, June 30, 
1913 and June 30, 1913# These figures are the import¬ 
ation by the Southern Pacific Company alone; the quanti¬ 
ty brought in by the Santa Pe and the Western Pacific 
roads would materially increase these figures. 

(Table No. 39.) 

Year Ending Year Ending Year Ending 
Cornmoditv: June 30, 1911: June 30, 1913: June 30. 191.3! 



tons 

tons 

ton 

Butter 

854 

117 

563 

Cheese 

957 

575 

741 

Eggs 

3131 

843 

695 

Poult TV 

3350 

3013 

3396 


SPUE CALIFORNIA FARM RESULTS 

In the way of compeer is on to the foregoing 
statement of farming costs and returns, the writers 
have collected and prepared the following table, con¬ 
sisting of records which have been published of actual 
results obtained by farmers in the Sacramento Valley* 


- 150 - 












< 






(Table bo. 40) 


per son . 


Addr e s s: 


lc Mr. A. W. Yerxa 

2. " 

3 11 i: 11 

4. Siiemaan Stevens 

5 . Gc V/ r Wax i ielc- 

6. Judge Fran£ Hill 

7. Wo F. Bush 

8. Ho He McAuslan 

9„ MrSo Ho H. McAuslan 
10o Mr o Jo Ho V/hite 


Pi ince ton 


Colusa 


11o Mr. Jo K. Mills 
12. Mr. Co Ronk 


Acr eage Cro p: 


10 Alfalfa 

37 Prunes 

Failying 



Average 

Average 

Yield Per 

Annual 

Annual Net 

Acre 

Gross 

Re turns 


Returns 

Acre 

Acr e 

12 tons 2nd yr. 

$185. 

$ 72. 

315.30 

60.00 pi 
o0 .00 


7-h 

40 

38 


14 

10 


Tomatoes 

Corn 


30 to: ).s 
75 to 100 buc 


Small stuff 
Alfalfa and stock 

Poultry . . 

Vineyard (50 tons raisms(o) 

(70 tons fresh 
(grapes 

Alfalfa 9 tons 

Fairy and Poultry 275 turkeys 


56.25 

3,000.00(3) 

190.00 


72.50(6) 


1 , 000 . 00 ( 2 ) 

1,200.OC (4) 
163.00 


1 . 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6 . 


Jot counting calves and sechildren. Figures for entire acreage. 

[n addition to supporting hio family^of other buildings. Fig-ares for entire acreage. 

T^t^T^ZtZce NO. 8. Figures for entire acreage. 

cMokenE returns from T ' Mch he 


does not give 


Number of 
See.sons 


1 

3 

hcMD 

11 

Several 

Several 
4th year 
Several 
1906 


3 


■ 151 - 












< 















J 



(Table Ua. 40 cont'd) 





Yield, per 


Avg.Annual 

Avg.Annual 

Number of 

Person: 

Address: 

Acreage 

Crop Acre 


Gross Re- 

Net Returns 

Seasons 






turns Acre 

Acre 


13. Mr. 0. Go Swanson 


20 

Giapes anc Peaches 65 tons 

grapes 

1,300.00(7) 


3 years old 

14. Mr. Nels Nelson 


10 

ii u it 7 .a i? 


150.00(8) 


5th year 

15. Col. John To Harrington 

Colusa 

6 

Oranges 370 boxes 


1,110.00(9) 


Several 

16. Mr. C. Wo Ilift 

1 ! 


-Alfalfa 8 tons 




Regularly 

17. " " " 

I» 


loganberries 


800.00 



18, Gibbin Orchard 


40 

Peaches and Plums 


47,348.00(10} 






Cherries 


11,740.00 

231.42 

5 




Berries 


2 , 000.00 



19, Starr Vineyard 

Yuba City 

, 

Vineyard 7 tons 


77,00 

60.00 

25 

20. Mr. H. To Heaton 


8 

14|r tons 

(dried 

) 363.33 

307.00 

1 

21. Mr. E. H. Hanly 

French Camp 


Small Potatoes 


300.00 (11) 


1 

22. Mr. Spencer 


18 

Alfalfa - Hogs 


160.00 


1 

23. Mr. Ho H, Clark 

Denair 

.3 

Newberries 15,000 lbs. 


750.00 

487.50 

1 

24. Mr. M. F. M. Charlton 

Hemet 

10 

Po tatoes 


200.00 


1 


7. In addition peaches brought from $.50 to §5*50 per tree. Acreage of each not given. Figures for entire acreage. 

8 . No figures given on peaches. Expects gross returns 5th year to be $250 per acre. 

9. Sells output to Palace Hotel at 50 per cent above ruling prices account quality. Figures not entire acreage 

10. Figures for entire orchard for 5 years during which expense^including insurance and taxes carefully kept was $15,000. 

11. Had the crop in 90 days exceeding cost of land. 


- 152 - 





















1 ' 






. -i 









A very remarkable acre of land.* perhaps the 


most intensively cultivated in America, belongs to Mr« 
Samuel C, Cleek, of Colusa, who bought it 3C years 
ago, put down two wells and windmills to pump water for 
its irrigation, and put every square foot of it in use. 
It contains: Cottage and veranda 3C by 3C feet; barn 
and corral, including two chicken houses, 75 x 75 feet; 


two windmill towers IS by 16 feet; garden 46 by 96 
feet; strawberries 95 by 90 feet; citrus nursery 90 
by 98 feet, containing 400 budled orange trees; row 
of dewberries along the fence 100 by 3 feet; 4 bearing 
apricot trees; 3 oak trees; 6 fig trees; 10 locust 
trees; 1 paradise tree; 4 bearing bread trees; 30 
rose bushes; 30 geraniums; 13 lemon trees; 1 lime tree; 
8 bearing orange trees; 5 pomegranate trees* 6 
beds of violets, 6 by 3 feet each; 1 patch Japanese 
bamboo; 14 stands of bees;4 huge grapevines; 1 bed 
calla lilies; 4 prune trees; 6 cypress trees; 1 bed 
of sage; 1 large garden and flower seed bed; besides 
honeysuckle and other rare and beautiful plants and 
shrubs. 


This acre has not only supported Mr. and 
Mrs. Cleek, but it is claimed they have long been able 
to put aside several hundred dollars yearly* 

In this connection Mr. Frank A* Venderlip. 
President of the National City Bank of New York City, 
at a dinner given him by the Clearing House Association 


-153- 




of Sacramento several years ago, said: "This Empire 
(the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys) has barely 
been scratched, and I do not think you men realise what 
is ahead of you. I am just completing a trip of 12,000 

m 

miles, and in the ride I took this afternoon about 
Sacramento I have seen the finest illustration of 
intensive cultivation that it has ever been my fortune 
to see, and I have ridden over the best roads that are 
to be found anywhere in the world."’ Mr. Vanderlip 
backed these opinions by purchasing the famous Cone 
Ranch of 18,000 acres at Los Molinos in Tehame, County# 
He also said in his speech that the most tremendous 
fact and the most tremendous lesson he had learned was 
the value of an acre of ground; that a man brought 
up on an eastern farm must reconstruct his idea of 
farm values when coming to California, as he cannot 
conceive at first of a soil so productive as to 
create a value of $200, $300 and even $500 per acre 
per annum. 


154- 

















APPENDIX NC. I 

EXCEL P'To FROM REPORT BY PROFESSOR F\ JR RETELL, 

the;,- eirecioe of t.te unit ed states recla.iation 

SERVICE , OF CONFERENCES HEL D IN 1913, 

(italics net in original) 

"During 1913 a series of conferences was held 
to discuss the present condition of irrigation develop- 
raent, the problems of settlement and of utilization of 
the lands non irrigated. The first of these meetings 
ras nith state and railroad immigration anents in 
Chicago, later nith bankers and dealers in irrigation 
securities, again nith state and railroad immigration 
men in Salt Lake City and then nith irrigation managers 
and others interested in Montana, Idaho, Washington, 
Oregon and California." 

CHICAGO MEETING OF IXXIORATION HEN 

"The results of the conference with immigra¬ 
tion or colonization agents held in Chicago on Hay 31, 
and June 1, 1913, were printed in the Reclamation Record 
for June 1913. It was there stated that the present 
problems confronting those interested in the utiliza¬ 
tion of reclaimed lands are: 

(a) How to find the name and address of the 


man who really desires a small 




rm< 


-155- 






























(b) How to sift out of the thousands of 
names thus obtained, those persons who are pre¬ 
sumably competent to make a success* 


(c) How to gain 
ond to make valuable 


the 


confidence of the latter 
to them* 


suggestions 


(d) How to test the various agencies or 
individuals who are offering opportunities to 
determine whether the lands offered are suitable 
small farms e/nd homes. 


f o 


(e) - How to get the information concerning 
these lands to the persons who are seeking them* 

(f) How to eliminate the agencies that are 
known or suspected to be untrustworthy.” 


-155a- 













































■: 






























































namely, on September 18, 


"‘At a later date, 

1918, an informal discussion was held in Chicago. with 
men representing various banks or bonding houses- con¬ 
cerned with irrigation securities. At that time 
various phases of the subject were discussed, particular¬ 
ly the question as to how to restore confidence in 
these securities, and aid in the further development 
of the arid west.. At the meeting the following points 
were touched upon*” 

"' There are now in the arid -west over 40,000,PCD 

acres of land which may be susceptible of reclamation 

grnd each acre of 'which should support at least one 

♦ 

individual. In other words, there can be put on land 
now waste and desolate, within a century, a, population 
of many millions of people. Up to the present time 
there has been reclaimed by private capital mainly 
of small investors, by men working with their own 
hands building structures and ditches, over 10,000,000 
acres of land, which is producing a large crop return 
and supporting a large population.”’ 

"About 30 years ago the Federal Government 
became interested in the more rapid development and 
utilization of the vacant public lands. An act was 
passed on June 17, 1903, known as the Reclamed ion Act 
which set aside for building irrigation works the 
proceeds from the disposal of public lands.***T/ith 


- 156 - 



















. - ^ . 

























I 







the amount of money available in this fund, not all the 
work of irrigation development can be undertaken, 
probably not more than 10 per cent.”****** 

i 

’’The irrigation situation at present is rather 
difficult. The schemes of private development are at 
the bottom of one of these waves of depression that 
come when the public is not well informed as to true 
conditions. Millions of dollars of stocks and bends 
have been issued where the probability of return is very 
small, and it is now almost impossible to raise money 
for ligitimate schemes because of the recent heavy 
losses and disappointments. The conditions are very 
much as they ’were 50 or 60 years ago when the rail¬ 
roads were started all over the country. Nearly every 
one of the railroad companies failed, but out of the 
ruins were built the present great systems, due to 
the fact that men acquired experiences by their losses 
and without being discouraged went at it again with a 
larger conception of the true conditions.”' 

”'So it is with the irrigation development of 
the West, the opportunity ■ is there, the land is there, 
the climate is there, and the people are looking for 
homes♦"****** 


"There are to be noted three separate phases 
of the growth of this subject of reclamation. The 
first phase was when ignorance prevailed as to reclama- 


- 157 - 




' r r 

’ J 












tion due to the fact that nobody knew much about the 
engineering or physical features of the problem* Many 
millions of dollars were invested in past years in 
total ignorance of the engineering conditions and 
failure came because of that fact. Then the projectors 
of new schemes ran up against another rock; that was 
the neglect of legal matters. The water rights of the 
various states were not clearly defined or established 
or safeguarded as are the land titles. Many millions 
of dollars were invested before it was discovered that 
many of the water rights were practically worthless. 
There is now a full realization of first , the engineer¬ 
ing and physical conditions; and second of the legal 
conditions, but the third and most difficult phase of 
all, the human problem, is not satisfactorily understood 
and solved. Irrigation works may be built in an ideal 
place, water rights mav be made secure, but after this 

the real trouble begins; namely, with the farmer who is 

to use that water and manufacture out of the soil the 

agricultural crops. The Reclamation Service is now 
trying to meet and solve this human problem." 


"Now is being demonstrated, by the crop pro¬ 
duction on the land reclaimed, the conditions to be 
met in any investment where the rnone^t has to be dug 
out of the soil. This is the point where many of the 


- 158 - 




















private projects ha vs failed and are failing. It is ■ 
the difficulty of securing the right kind of settlers 
who will practice a high de-rree of agriculture and 
who will study the condition of soil, climate and 
crop and make a success individually, so that the pay¬ 
ments for water can be met when the time arrives," 

"By a careful analysis of crop production on 
recently irrigated land, it is now possible to tell 
within narrow limits as to what the average man can or 
will produce. He is not always making a notable success 
under irrigation. The average crop production is snail." 

"Delay in getting competent settlers means 
loss of time, and time means interest; interest doubles 

the cost of many excellent irrigation schemes. They 

# 

fail because the promoters could not get the farmers 
on the ground soon enough."****** 

"On a reclamation project the settlers can 
not afford to raise crops to compete with the ordinary 
crops in the markets of the world. When the country 
has a small production there is a demand for what can 
be raised in the vicinity, but when the new comers 
produce more than can be consumed locally, the price 
immediately drops." 

Up. jf; jf: jf: 

SALT LAKE CITY MEETING OF IMMIGRATION MEN 

"How to get settlers on irrigated lands was 
the subject of discussion of irrigation commissioners 


- 159 - 



















































ana agents at an informal meeting held in Salt Lake 

City, Utah, on September 30, 1912. The meeting was 

participated in by representatives of various states 

and railroad immigration men. The "back to the land" 

0 

movement was considered in various phases and dis¬ 
cussions had of the organizations such as the new 
American Agricultural Society, designed to further an 
intelligent direction of this movement. The necessity 
of elementary instruction in agricultural schools was 
shown." 


"It came out that the great part of the lands 
which have been reclaimed, especially by large companie s 
and by the Government, is not being well irrigated and 
the average crop production is too small to attract 

new settlers or enable the best handling of the ir¬ 
rigation projects. This is notable under the Govern¬ 
ment works, where over 1,200,000 acres have been re¬ 
claimed at a cost of $30 to $40 per acre and not much 
over a half of it is being utilized in the production 
of crops, although practically all of it is in the 
hands of homestea,d entrymen and others. The great 
difficulty is to induce these land holders to culti¬ 
vate the soil in an intelligent manner."****** 

" It is obvious that many of the irrigation 
projects must be resettled in part by men who have a 

fair amount of capital and who appreciate that ir¬ 

rigation means hard work and continuous application . 


- 160 - 










, • V.' .1 ■ •' 
























% 
























together with intelligent observation and thought* 

Every irrigator and his family, successfully cultivat¬ 
ing a small farm, is worth from $40. to $100. per 
annum to the railroad.’'****** 

"The most powerful influence for drawing 
desirable settlers to the western states are the 
letters which are being written by successful farmers 
and business men to their friends and relatives in 
other states or abroad." 

"The foundation of success, however, rests 

i 

on the man who is now on the ground and who is making 
good. Every man who is not making good i n a _c_c mmunitv 
is n ot only a detriment to the com mu nity direct ly, but 
his influence is widespre a d in preventing development * 

The work of the "booster" ther efor e begins at home in 
gett ing the unsuccessful man placed els e where under 
more con g enial surroundings and in his place secu ring 
the successfu l man whose example is the most powerful 
influence and argument in boosting the mov ement." 

BOZEMAN CONFERENCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGERS 

"The first of the series of 1913 conferences 
of operation and maintenance men in charge of large 
irrigation projects was held at the Agricultural 
College at Bozeman, Montana,October 17 and 18.There were 
present several managers of the principal irrigaticn 
systems in the northern part of the arid region, the 


- 161 - 





























• . • % r. 


faculty of the Agricultural College and others interest 
eci. The object of these conferences was discussed in 
bringing together the managers who have immediate care 
of large irrigation works, those serving water to 
several hundred or several thousand water users and 
where on account of size it is necessary to adopt and 
follow carefully considered rules and regulations*" 

"The discussions brought out the fact that n 
the present is a time of transition in many parts of 
the Arid West from the old easv-going way of handling 
irrigation canals to more effective and systematic 
modern methods. In cases where the farmers have 
gradually built the works by their own labor and where 
each man is well acquainted with his neighbor and with 
the operation in general, there is possible an easy¬ 
going wav of distributing water between neighbors, each 

of whom has learned through years of experience some- 

% 

thing of his duties and responsibilities. This is not 
possible in the case of the larger systems built by 

corporate investment or by the Government, where hun¬ 

dreds of farmers representing the various types of 
experience, nationality and religion are brought to¬ 

gether from all parts of the country." 

"The newcomers on these larger projects have 
not had the advantage of working together; they are not 
even acquainted with each other 1 s ideas or methods, and 
through ignorance are often highly prejudiced avainst 


- 182 - 










each other, so that there is none of the cooperative 
spirit which has characterized the building of the 
earlier irrigation canals.******** Where a half 
dozen pioneers have joined together in building a 
small irrigation canal, if mistakes in management 
were made at first, no very large amount of money or 
property was involved, and experiments might be made 
which would be fatal to life and property if under¬ 
taken with a large fully constructed canal" 

"'It was shown that in the older smaller ir¬ 
rigation systems the individual shareholders have 
fought or agreed among themselves regarding the dis¬ 
tribution of the water until, by constant attrition, 
they have developed a relatively smooth procedure. 

They have expended in these controversies and in liti¬ 
gation as a rule more than the canals have cost. Each 
year the stockholders now meet together, criticise 
and condemn the present management, elect new directors, 
and adjourn until the next meeting. These new direct¬ 
ors, all of them experienced in past controversies, 
generally settle back to about the same course of 
procedure, employ usually the same manager, and continue 
largely in accordance with unwritten understandings." 

"Such easy-going course is impracticable 
with the large modern works. The water users do not 
have behind them nearly a generation of experience, 
and the directors they elect are frequently newcomers. 


- 163 - 




c 


V 


9 





village lawyers or real estate men,many- of whom have 
not had any considerable experience in irrigation* 

Hence it results that there must be an entirely distinct 
method of management and a development of a system which 
will guard the delivery of water to the individual in 
spite of the fact that the great body of these individ¬ 
uals, have not had experience in irrigation or even in 
agriculture.” 

"The lesson learned in studying the history 
of the irrigation system is that for success the con¬ 
trol in details of all large works must be in the 
hands of a strong capable manager, having no personal 
or private interest in the canal, but devoted solely 
to the carrying out of certain policies designed to 
secure the greatest good to the greatest number, and 
at the same time assuring the delivery of water to the 
owner of the poorest and smallest farm on the project." 

"In some cases, despairing of adjusting the 
warring factions under these systems, recourse is be¬ 
ing had to outside corporations organized for the 
express purpose of making contracts to operate and 
maintain these irrigation systems in such a way as to 
be wholly impartial and to guarantee the upkeep of the 
works and the economical delivery of water. By having 
as manager a man employed from outside of the area and 
one who cannot be influenced by local politics, it lias 
been found possible to operate these enterprises with 


- 164 - 
















•. * I 

* * V 1 


a, minimum of friction and a maximum of efficiency." 

"In the case of the modern irrigation systems 

-—j j 

now being built by private and public capital, it is 
evident t h at som e su ch c o ur se must be f oll ow ed, that it 
is not possible to imrnedlatel y_co mmi t _the_detai 1 s of 
operation and maintenance to the land owners. T o d o 
so to invite on a larger and m ore disast rous scale 
t he same evils which are rampant in the control of 

sma ller irrigation canals. Ther e mu st be a strong 
c en ^ral o rganization headed by a manager who is removed 

f rom the danger of being i nfluenced bv individual water 
users, and who has enough assistants, responsible 

- Z. .---. -—— —-. —- —— -t-— - 

d irec tly to him, to e nabl e him t o ca r ry out effec t ively 

the general plans and policie s/ 

******** 

"At the operation and maintenance conference 
these conditions were discussed and attention was direct¬ 
ed largely to the necessity of the agricultural colleges 
of the West training young men for the minor positions 
in canal operation, not especially as engineers, but on 
the contrary as agriculturalists and irrigators. It 
appears that the tendency has been to devote the college 
work too closely to the more attractive side of irrigation 
construction, the building of dams, canals, po'"er plants, 
and intricate machinery. What is really needed, how¬ 
ever, is a large body of young men brought up on the 
farm, who have had a thorough education in the theory 


- 165 - 













































and practice of agriculture, in the handling of the soil, 
and in the application of water* These men are needed 
to begin at the bottom in irrigation management to fill 
the places of canal riders, distributing water from day 
to day to the farmers, covering a length of canal of 
perhaps 15 or 30 miles, and incidentally to their main 
work of setting the gates, keeping in touch with the 
farmer and indirectly giving such advice as may be help¬ 
ful to the less experienced irrigators." 

"In the p:st these places have been filled 
largely by local men picked up for the purpose. The 
very fact that they have been available testifies usual¬ 
ly to the fact that they are not successful farmers; 
otherwise they would be too busy to accept such employ¬ 
ment. While it has been necessary to operate systems of 
considerable size with men obtained in this ’way, the 
results testify to the fact that as the large irrigation 
systems develop there must be provided a bodv of trained 
men from whom to select these canal riders, as their 
position is one of considerable responsibility. Upon 

them depends primarily the success of the farmer," 

******** 


BOISE CONFERENCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGERS 

"The second of the 1913 conferences of ir¬ 
rigation managers was held at Boise, Idaho, October 34 
and 35. There were present managers of various irriga¬ 
tion systems constructed under the terms of the Carey A.ct 


- 166 - 










s 

























and ox those built by the Government under the terms 
of the Reclamation Act; also a few representative 
farmers from the projects and others interested in 
the management of irrigation canals." 

" The discussion related largely to the larger 
cjuestions of management and to the necessity of having 
in charge of the work a man of an ability comparable to 
that of the manager of a railroad system. With canals 
and distributaries aggregating hundreds of miles in 
length, the problems of serving water to thousands of 
farmers is tone which demands large experience and a 
special training as thorough as that of a railroad 
manager or of a successful man in any profession. It 
was recognized that while these qualities are demanded. 

vet public opinion has not vet been educated to a 

point where compensation can be given comparable to 

that of the railroad manager; it may be years before a 
general appreciation is had of the need of well-trained 
men and of a compensation which will hold these men in 
their positions." 

CORVALLIS CONFERENCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGERS 

"'The fourth opere-tion and maintenance > 
conference in 1913 wa,s held on November 6 and 7 at the 
Agricultural College at Corvallis, Oregon. The princi¬ 
pal members of the College faculty met with the ir¬ 
rigation managers from projects in the State. The 


167 - 
































subjects discussed were those having to do with the 
relations of the manager to the agricultural conditions 
c.no. particularly uo the character of crops raised by 
the new comers*” 


"In Oregon there has been era excess of 
enthusiasm on the subject of horticultural production, 
particularly of apples, because of the notable success 
of some of the enterprises, particularlv those in Hood 


River, As 

a result 

thousands 

of 

Acres of 

orchards 

have 

been set out in all 

pants of 

the 

State and 

under all 

conditions 

of soil. 

climate, 

and 

drainage. 

both of 

air 


and water, No returns can be expected from some of 
these new orchards for a number of vears, and the 
question arises as to how the men planting- them can 
make a living up to the time that the orchards come into 
bearing. In some cases crops are raised between the 
ro r: s of young trees by intercultivation and considerable 
returns realized from potatoes and other vegetables.” 

"There are certain dangers to the orchard 
connected with this •intercultivation as the soil may 
be robbed in part of the fertility needed by the trees. 
On the other hand clean cultivation of the orchard in 
soil '"hich is low in humus may result disastrously in 
burning out and impoverishing the soil. Cultivation . 
of forage crops between the trees may be advantageous 
under some conditions. In short, there are so many 


- 168 - 





facts to be taken into account that the unskilled settl 
er is liable to make several out of an almost infinite 
variety of blunders. To this is to be added the ver^ 
serious consideration that horticultural experts do 
not believe that one out of ten of the trees planted 
will be commercially valuable.” 

"The importance of a thorough study of the 
peculiarities not only of each project but of the dif¬ 
ferent kinds of soil on each project was brought cut 
in the discussion. On the Umatilla project, for 
example, the soils vary from a fairly heavy loam to 
drifting: sand dunes where the greatest care must be 
taken in putting in the crop to prevent its being 
blown out. In the latter case good judgment must be 
exercised not to clear the native vegetation in such a 
way as to permit the wind to sweep across bare spots, 
and precautions observed in putting in the crop so that 
it will begin to shade the ground before the winds can 
wear away the surface. Large quantities of water are 
required on these sandy soils. In general it must be 
applied in furrows and in considerable heads, in or¬ 
der to put the water over the ground quickly before it 
can completely saturate the subsoil. The more porous 
the sands the nearer together sould these furrows be 
placed. Experience and skill are required in irrigat¬ 
ing these sandy lands, but as alfalfa, clover, and 

similar crops are turned in and nitrogenous matter 

- 169 - 































































supplied, the amount of water needed is decreased.” 

”The principal mistake made by the settlers 
is the attempt to raise at the outset the more delicate 
crops which require great skill, and in which the 
chance of success is far less than in ordinary farm¬ 
ing . In other words, it will be better for these new 
irrigation projects if the settlers could be induced 

to try the safe, relatively sure crops and especially 
the raising of forage which can be fed to the cattle, 
sheep and hogs on the farm, bringing up the fertility, 
as some of these soils must be made valuable by long 
sustained work. The water holding capacity of many 
of these must also be increased at the same time that 
humus and nitrogen are supplied,” 

BERKELEY CONFERENCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGERS 

The fifth conference of managers of irrigation 
works was held at the Agricultural College at Berkele^r, 
Calif,, on Nov, 13 and 13, 1913, between the men con¬ 
cerned with the handling of water to irrigators under 
private projects and those under works built by the 
Government, together with members of the College faculty* 
The principal topics discussed were those having to do 
with the details of delivery of water to the farms, 
expecially on a measured basis. It was the concensus 
of opinion that water, as in the case of any commodity. 


-170- 












> 1 









































must be delivered in such way that the amount paid will 
be in proportion to the amount delivered. In this way 
the necessary economy of water can be enforced and the 
destruction of the fertility of the land may be reduced. 
It was shown that the private companies which were 
operating throughout the West are looking largely to 
the Reclamation Service to set certain standards, not 

t 

only in construction of works, but also in methods of 
operating and maintaining these after they are completed' 1 
" Experience has shown that the successful 
handling of a large irrigation system requires a business 

manager whose experience and ability are comparable to 

those of the general manager of a railroad or of any 

large industrial institution . The success or failure 
of the works e,nd the amount of crop returns over 
thousands of acres is dependent largely upon his skill 
and experience. Through lack of skill his operations 
may result in reducing the average crop value on, - 
say, 100,000 acres by $10 or $20, resulting in a loss 
to the community of $1,000,000 or $2,000,000,and yet 
to all outward appearances he may not have neglected 
any important duty." 

I***:***** 

"The length of time required to put an ir¬ 
rigation system on a basis where the water users can 
repay the operation and maintenance charges has been a 


-171- 











matter of some surprise. The slowness with which the 
lands are actually'used has, as a result, the effect 
thg,t the operation and maintenance cost can rarely be 
met under 8 or 10 years. Meantime the interest charges 
on the investment rapidly accumulate’ and take away the 
profits of the enterprise. 

It was also brought out that, as in the case 
of farming in general, so under the irrigated projects 

there is probably the greatest lack of general effic¬ 
iency of any business. Few farmers know what their 
crops are actually costing them and dependence is 

placed upon tradition rather than upon observation! 

There is pressing need of actual data, based upon observ¬ 
ation, as to the real cost of the various agricultural 
operations and crops.” 

"Under all of the irrigation projects in 
California as well as in other states, the land sales 
have taken place far more slowly than anticipated, 
resulting, as above stated, in difficulty in securing 
repayment of the operation cost, as some of the charges 
are practically fixed and must be met irrespective of 
the amount of land actually irrigated.” 

Stress was laid on the necessity of economy 
in design in construction and of the development of 
talent in managerial capacity more than in engineering* 


















A 













t 
























Special emphasis was placed on the need of force of 
character on the part of the manager, such as wins men 
so his views. The .greatest difficulty which has been 
experienced in finding competent managers was lack of 
this character and of ’’backbone" in adhering to prin¬ 
ciples which lead to the gree-test wood' to the greatest 
number * 


******** 

* 


"In the case of the private companies arid 
irrigation districts it was noted that very few 
accurate records of water deliveries and of costs are 
being kept, the directors of these companies not 
appreciating the importance of measuring the amount 
of water which is delivered to the various laterals 
and turned to the land; hence it is impossible to know 
how much water is actually being put upon many of the 
areas and the cost of details of the work.” • 

"'In the matter of leveling the land for ir¬ 
rigation the first estimates made in California were 
generally about $15« or s?30. per acre, but experience 
has shown that expenditures as high as from $35. to 
$60. per acre are justified in getting the surface as 
nearly level as possible and in providing checks to 
facilitate rapid irrigation, so that irrigation, can be 
carried on at the rate of 5 acres per hour, a head of 
10 to 15 second-feet beinv used. 

-173- 































"There is probably the greatest amount of 


inefficiency in farming of any other business ancl the 
efforts of the canal manag er must be contin uall y direct¬ 
ed toward bringing about the welfare of the man who 
tills the soil." 


" The most efficient man ager of an irrigation 
system is usually one who has had e xperience in large 
corporations and who has had training in handlin g large 
affairs." 


-174- 




















































APPENDIX II 


EXCERPTS FROM STATEMENT BY PROFESSOR F. H, NEWELL , 

THEN DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES RECLAMATION 

SERVICE t ON CAPITAL REQUIRED BY AN IRRIGATION 

FARMER AND SIZE OF FARM UNITS» 

(Italics not in original) 


n Tn compiling the information given in the 
manuscript, farm units of 20 acres, 40 acres s,nd 60 
acres have been considered as being the most feasible 
and practicable sizes cultivatible by the efforts of one 
man.*******it will be appreciated that the figues on 
farm returns will in some cases be rather large and in 
other cases rather small* The fact that they are 
average and conservative values should be borne in 
mind in making suggestions. The aim has been to be 

entirely on the side of conservatism.’ 5 

*** ****** 


"CAPITAL REQUIRED BY AN IRRIGATION FARMER 

1. It is the object of this publication to 
answer inquiries frequently made as to the amount of 
capital required to undertake irrigation farming on the 
projects of the Reclamation Service. In presenting 
this information no claim is made as to absolute 
accuracy, because the amount of capital required 


-176- 












% 







I 





. -V 


i. 







I .. ‘ * * 





















by one man for undertaking irrigation farming would be 
entirely different from that required by another man 
of more experience and practical and economical 
qualities. It is believed, however, that the inform¬ 
ation given will be of sufficient accuracy to be of 
help in making estimates by those who are interested in 
taking up this occupation. .*.**.****" 

M 3. It must first be realized that farming is an 
occupation that requires energy, judgment, business 
ability and experience, as well as money, to produce 
satisfactory results from the outset. There is too 
often prevalent an idea that the man who can not succeed 
in any other line of work can at least succeed in the 
line of farming* 7/ithin the last ten years agriculture 
has rapidly grown to be a science, and it takes an 
abundance of careful, patient thought and industry to 

accomplish good results.” 

********** 

" 8. In view of the three foregoing types of 
farms, (intensive, semi-intensive or diversified, and 
grain and stock) that may be made practicable in all 
regions of the arid west, there have been tabulated 
for the information of the homeseeker, the rough costs 
of improvements, equipment, stock, feed, seed and 
trees for each of the foregoing sizes of farms. The 
expenditures for improvements, equipment and stock are 

those required during the first three years operations 

- 176 - 












' 




I 

















































of the farms and need not necessarily be all made the 
first year although the greater portion should be so 
made. The expenditures for feed and seed and trees 
are for the first year only. In table No. 41 will be 
found information relating to a 20-acre farm* * * * 
These figures should, of course, be considered as 
approximations susceptiable of considerable elasticity 
to suit the individuality of the settler. They are 
based on the purchase of new equipment, and the con¬ 
struction of new buildings on which the farmer will do 
a large part of the work himself assisted by a car¬ 
penter, and on the purchase of ample stock to start the 
farm well." 


”9. In tables Nos. 42 and 43 will be found similar 
information for 40-acre and 60-acre farms."' 

”10. In Table No. 44 is given, in connection with 
each project of the Reclamation Service on which water 
is being furnished, information on the approximate cost 
of land, water-rights and annual operation and mainten¬ 
ance service*******" 

"11. In those regions where the earnings of the 
farm can be applied to the purchase of land, it is the 
custom to buy the land partly on credit. This practice 
is not advisable in an irrigated country where in debted ¬ 
ness exists for water-rights, as the earnings of the 
farms must be applied to the payment of this obl iga tion. 


-177- 















* 



\ 



*\ 






* 


" it 






(This is almost never over $50. per acre). It is 
bestj therefore* to purchase the land out-right* if 
public land is not available on which filing oan be 
made. 

"15. No estimate has been given on the cost of 
household goods or on the cost of living* inasmuch 
as these expenses vary so much with the tastes*de¬ 
sires and frugality of the family. In estimating the 
amount of money required for living expenses while the 
farm is getting into condition to produce* capital 
enough should be provided to furnish practically all 
the requirements of the family for one year." 

"13. After having selected the size of farm that 
the prospective homeseeker desired* he can obtain an 
estimate from either table Nos. 41* 43 or 43* according 
to the size of the farm chosen* of the cost of build¬ 
ings, equipment* stock, feed* seed and trees required 
for his farm. To this he should add the estimated 
purchase price of the land as set forth on Table 44. 

He should then add to this sum the estimated cost of 
his household goods* his living expenses for one year 
and the necessary transportation expenses from his 
present home to the farm* which will give him an ap- 
. proximate idea of the amount of capital required to 
properly finance his undertaking." 

"14. In Table No* 45*have been tabulated* under 

the headings there given, an estimate of the income 

-173- 








































for 20-acre, 40-acre, and 60-acre farms for the first, 
second and third years 1 operation for the estimated 
Equipment and stock conditions given in tables bos. 

41, 42 and 43. The incomes given in Table No. 45 have 
been classified under the headings M Small", "Fair", 
e„nd "Good", comparable with the same headings given 
in tables Nos. 41, 42 and 43, so as to make these in¬ 
comes representative of a large range of territory, . . 

and so as to provide for the element of chance entering 
into the production of crops and animals. The figures 
are given for the purpose of assisting the homeseeker 
in making a rapid and approximate estimate of the in¬ 
comes from farms .of various sices on Reclamation 
projects. No high degree of accuracy is claimed for 
these figures, and this must be borne in mind by the 
persons using the table. An attempt has been me.de to 
make the figures as a whole entirely conservative for 
the average man. There are men who succeed in the face 
of the apparently impossible, and others who fail in 
spite of every reasonable opportunity for success. 

For neither of these classes can limiting figures be 
prescribed." 

"15. The returns given from the sales of crops are 
values computed from production in the excess of re¬ 
quirements for the use of the family, a,nd the feeding 
of the stock on the farm. It is evident that these 
returns will depend very largely on the character of 


-179- 








i 



crops cultivated by the farmer* * * * * * The figures 
given are intended to be representative of normal re¬ 
sults obtained by average farmers under the adverse 
conditions of opening up new lands . n ' 

"13. The returns for poultry and dairy products 
are estimates of the returns from sales after a small 
family has been supplied with its own needs. The values 
given can be realized only with intelligent care and 
industry in handling good poultry and cows." 

"17. Under the heading of "Stock Sales" e.re given 
the estimated sales of stock produced from the original 
purchase of stock placed on the farm, as given in tables 
Nos. 41, 42 and 43. These values are based on the 
farmer starting out with good breeding stock, and using 
due diligence and care in handling them," 

"18. Under the heading of "Increased Stock Values" 
are given the values of increase of young stock produced 
from the original stock from year to year, and from the 
increased value of some of the original purchase* In 
compiling these figures it has been assumed that noth¬ 
ing but a good grade of stock will have been originally 
acquired. Where cheap values of stock are shown, these 
figures are assumed to represent the purchase of stock 
that has not yet reached full maturity, so that there 
will be an increased value of such animals from year 

to year until they have reached their maturity." 

* * * * ***** 


-180- 



* 


r 








"20. The data nave not been extended beyond the 
third year, as it has been assumed that after the first 
three years the returns from the farms will be capable 
of substantial increase under .crood management and 
industry in getting the land into good condition and 
under cultivation." 


-181 









(Tabla No. 41) 


Cost of improvements, Equipment, Stock, read,Seed 

and Trees for a Twenty-acre Irrigated Farm . 


• 

• 

Item : 

• 

• 

Sadll 

• 

• 

• 

Fcir 

4 

: Good 

s 

• 

Buildings: 





House 

$40C . 

a) 

0600. 

(a) $800. (a) 

Barn 

75. 


100. 

150. 

Granary or fruit 

shed IOC* 


100. 

100. 

Other buildings 

150. 

(b) 

350, 

(b) 300. (b) 

Fences 

7 O, 


lB o . 

175. 

Well 

70, 


75. 

125. 

Bitch structures 

30. 


50. 

50 » 

Total 

& 900. 

A 

S? 

1,300. 

£ l,7G0r 

Equipment: 





Soil tools 

60. 


75. 

75, 

Seeding tools 

10. 


10. 

15, 

Harvesting tools 

10. 


10. 

25. 

Sprayer s 

30. 


20. 

30. 

n ar ness 

40, 


50. 

50. 

Vehicles 

130. 


130* 

200. 

Small tools 

10. 


15, 

2o. 

Total 

”280". 


§ 310.' 

0 410, 

Stock *. 





Horses 

200. 


250. 

300. 

Cattle 

80. 


120. 

150. 

Hogs or sheep 

40. 


160, 

SC. 

Fowls 

25. 


Bo . 

25. 

Bees 

0. 


10, 

10. 

i'Ot cl 

0 o45 . 


w o DO* 

A — r\ rr 

O O O O i 

J? w \JL 

380. 


3S0, 

460. 

Seeds and trees 

180. 


180. 

180. 

Grand Total 

| 3,085. 

4 

2,745. 

0 5 6 5 1 o, 


(a) These figures may be reduced by about 0200 . , 
particularly for the warmer climates, if the settler is 
disposed to :e contented with the accompanying inconven¬ 
iences. 

(b) These figures may be reduced about $100* fox 
the warmer climates and for very meager conveniences. 


i 


- 182 - 



































■ . • * • »»-■ 







(Table Ho. 42) 

Cost of Improvements, Equi p ment, Stock, Feed, Seed and Tree 
xor a Foity-acre Irrigated Farm . 


• 

'It'3m : 

% 

• 

Small 

*. Fair 

« 

• 

• 

: Good 

buildings; 




o 

C 

cn 

CD 

400.(a) 

$ 600. 

(a) $ 800.(a) 

Barn 

100, 

150, 

200. 

Granary or fruit shed 

113o. 

12b, 

125, 

Other buildings 

250. (’o) 

300, 

(o) 3o0. (b) 

Fences 

100. 

175. 

250. 

Bell 

75. 

75. 

100. 

Ditch structures 

5 0. 

75. 

75. 

Total ITT 

,100, 

£ 1,500, 

6 1,900. 

Equipment: 




Soil tools 

70. 

75. 

150. 

Seeding tools 

15. 

80. 

140. 

Har vesting tools 

20. 

110. 

kJ O « 

Spr ay er s 

20. 

35. 

45. 

Harness 

45. 

50. 

90, 

Vehicles 

150, 

240. 

o4C. 

Small tools 

15, 

20. 

“T 

aj O % 

Total J 

335. 

U 6lo7 

0 1,065, 

Stock: 




Horses 

300. 

300. 

375. 

Cattle 

150. 

225, 

275. 

Hogs or sheep 

80. 

80. 

100. 

Fowl s 

25. 

So. 

i 

Bees 

15, 

20. 

20. 

Total v. 

570, 

5 6o0. 

5 733. 

Feed: 

33 C. 

455, 

520. 

Seed and trees 

150. 

150. 

150. 

Grand Total $ 2 

, 545. 

$ 3,36o. 

0 4,450. 

(a) These figures may be reduced by 

about 0200,, 

p ar t i cul ar 1 y f or th e wax rner 

climates 

, if the 

settler is 

disposed to to ae contented 

with the 

ac companying incon- 

veniences. 




(b) These figures may oe reduced by 

a bout v>loo. 

for the warmer climates and 

for very 

meager 

conveniences. 


- 183 - 

































































(Table No. 43) 

Cost of Improvements, Equipment, Stock, Feed, Seed and 

Trees for a Sixty-acre Irrigated Farm. 


Item 

• 

• 

: Small 

• 

m 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Fair 

• 

• 

Good 

• 

• 

Buildings: 





Bouse 

$ 400. (a) 


$ 600.(a) 

§ 300.(a) 

Barn 

150. 


200. 

350 

Or an ar y 

150. 


150. 

150, 

Other buildings 

360. (b) 


335.(b) 

400.(b) 

Fences 

130. 


200. 

280. 

Well 

75. 


75, 

100. 

Ditch structur es 

75, 


100. 

100. 

Total 

$ 1,350. 

§ 

1,660. 

S' 3,060.' 

Equipment: 





Soil tools 

5 110. 

§ 

V 

170. 

$ 210. 

Seeding tools 

15. 


140. 

160, 

Harvesting tools 

140. 


300. 

32C. 

Sf r ayer s 

35. 


45. 

45. 

Harness 

SC. 


so. 

SO. 

Vehicles 

190. 


340. 

440. 

Small tools 

35, 


35. 

o0c 

Total 

$ 605. 

A 

$ 

1,120. 

$ l,3l5".“ 

Stock: 





Hor s e s 

$ 450. 

$ 

500. 

$ 600. 

Cattle 

230. 


r* O f 

0^5 O » 

375. 

Hogs or sheep 

80. 


80. 

100. 

Fowls 

25. 


35 • 

35. 

o r\ 

LJ w ^ U 

10. 


20. 

30. 

Total 

5 V9oT 

5 


$ 1,120. 

Feed: 

580. 


530. 

cOO, 

Seen -nd trees 

175. 


175. 

175. 

Gi an a Total 

$ 3,405. 

V 

4,4So. 

A ~ : s' i 

^ O)T 


(a) These f igures may be reduced by about $300. , par¬ 
ticularly for the warmer climates, if the settler is dis¬ 
posed to be contented with the accompanying inconvenience 

(b) These figures may be reduced by about $150, for 
the warmer climates and very meager conveniences. 


184 - 



























. • / • ’> • 











(Table No. 44.) 

Cost ~oer acre of land, Water-rights. Operation arid. Maintenance 

Expenses. Irrigation Projects U.S.R.S. for 1912 



Relin- 
• « 

: quish- ; Total 

Pri- : ment and. 0 f 

vate . Filing ! iq 

land . Fee « pay - 

: Public ; m « ts 

. land 

Water Right 

Payments for 
First and second 

Years 

• 

• 

1st : 2nd 

% 

.... _____ 

Approxi 
mate 

0«& M« 
Charge 

Ariz., Salt River 

$ 100 Little 

$50(aK 

;5.00(a) 

$5.00(a) 

V1.30(a 

Ariz.-Cal., Yuma 

50-100 

66 

5.50 

1.00 

2.00 

Cal., Orland 

100-120 None 

45(a) 

4.50 

4.50(a) 

1.00(a 

Colo., Uncompahgre 




- 


Valley 

50*150 

70(a) 

7.00 

7.00(a) 

1.00(a 

Idaho, Boise 

50-100 

66(a) 

6.60 

6.60 (a 1 )'' 

1.00(a 

, Minidoka 

100 $10-50 

40 

1.00 

1.50 

1 c 75 

Mont., Huntley 

20-50 

30 

3.00 

3.00(b) 

1.00 

, Milk River 

75-100 

39(a) 

3.90 

3.90(a) 

1.00(a 

" , Sun River 

75-100 

36 

3.00 

1.00 

1.00 

Mont .-N.Dak., Lr. 






Yellowstone 

• 

45 

2.00 

4.50 

1.50 

Neb.-Wyo., Nor th 






Platte 

75-100 

55 

1.00 

2.00 

1.40 

Nev,-Truckee-Carson 

75 

30 

3.00 

3.00 

0.75 

N. Ilex., Carlsbad 

50-100 None 

45 

5.60 

3.00 

1.75 

N« Hex. -Tex., Rio 



- 



Grande 

200-300 Little 

56(a) 

5.60 

5.60(a) 

1.00(a 

N. Dak., N, D. Pump 

100 Little 

36 

3.80 

3.80 

1.50(c 

Ore.-Umatilla 

60-100 $15.00 

(60 

6.00 

6.00 




(70 

2.00 

3.00 

1.30 

Ore.-Cal., Klama th 

40 

30 

3.00 

3.00 

0.75 

S. Dak,, Belle 






Fourche 

30-50 

40 

4.00 

4.00 

0.60 

Was h., Okanogan 

200-300 Little 

65(d) 

8,00 

8.00 

2.25 

Wash., Yak., S unn y_ 






side 

100-200 Little 

52 

5 c 20 

5.20 

0.95 

Wash., Yak., Tie ton 

125-175 $25-100 

93 

9.30 

9 c 30 

1.50 

Wyo ., §ho shone 

25-75 25-50 

52 

4.70 

4.70 

1.00 


Projects formally opened several of which have 
gradua ted payme nts. 

(a) Estimated, project not formally opened. 

(b) 44.00 per acre to be paid to Indians - $1.00 1st year 

v,75 for 4 succeeding years. 

(cl sfl.OO per acre-foot of water used additional. 

(d) New contract not exceeding $110. per acre. 

- 185 - 















t 








. 









(Table No. 45.) 


Estimated Farm 

Returns 

and 

Increased Stock 

Values 

for 

First 


Three Years Operation for Twenty 

4 Forty and 

Sixtv-acre 

Farms for 


Arid Stato Gj_ 











: First Year : 

Second 

Year : 

Third Year 


:Small ’ 

Fair: 

Good: 

Small :F 

a ir: 

Good: Small: 

Fair: 

Good 

20—*cre Farm 










Cr op Gales 

60 

80 

100 

100 

150 

200 

125 

150 

200 

Poultry products 


25 

35 

50 

75 

100 

75 

100 

120 

Dairy products 


30 

40 

20 

40 

40 

40 

40 

40 

Stock sales 

30 

125 

225 

110 

265 

320 

110 

270 

320 

Increased stock 










va Ire s 

60 

40 


40 



30 



Totals 

150 

300 

400 

320 

530 

660 

380 

560 

680 

40-Acre Farm 










Crop sales 

100 

150 

200 

200 

250 

300 

250 

300 

400 

Foul try pro due ts 


25 

35 

50 

75 

100 

50 

75 

100 

Dairy products 

40 

65 

60 

40 

70 

100 

60 

100 

140 

Stock sales 

60 

no 

150 

130 

195 

260 

250 

305 

340 

Increased stock 










values 

70 

80 

65 

140 

140, 

140 

120 

120 

120 

Totals 

270 

430 

530 

560 

730 

900 

730 

900 

1100 


60~ A cre Farm 










Crop sales 

100 

150 

200 

200 

250 

300 

250 

300 

350 

Poultry products 


25 

35 

50 

75 

100 

50 

75 

100 

Dairy products 

60 

100 

140 

60 

100 

140 

60 

100 

140 

Stock sales 

60 

150 

185 

200 

165 

200 

320 

425 

440 

Increased stock 










values 

100 

135 

80 

130 

250 

160 

120 

200 

150 

To tals 

320 

560 

640 

640 

840 

900 

800 

1100 

1180 


Compare figuring tables with data in Chapter VIII. 


-1G6- 



































■ i 




















SIZE OF FARM UNITS 


"1. Section 4 of the Reclamation Act makes it the 
duty of the Secretary of the Interior to fix the "limit 
of area per entry, which limit shall represent the acre 
age which, in the opinion of the Secretary may be re¬ 
asonably required for the support of a family upon the 
land in question*" 

******** 

* * * * A n examination of other evidence than 
that of interested parties (land owners) is therefore 
essential in order to arrive at the facts which should 
govern the Secretary in his decision on this point*" 

"'5* There must be taken into account a wide range 
of conditions not only as to the character of the soil 
and its surface condition, but also as to climate, near 
ness to markets, customs of the country, and particular 
ly the degree of ability or experience of the people * . 
who will probably attempt to cultivate these lands* 

It may be stated that, as a general rule, any lands 
of the arid region which are not exceedingly rough or 
rocky are capable of producing crops under irrigation 
because of the fact that with the large amount of sun¬ 
shine such as is characteristic of the arid region, 
the soil can be brought to a high degree of productive¬ 
ness with reasonable labor and intelligence." 

********* 

"7* The question of markets is to a certain extent 


-187- 






























/• 







less important., as railroad transportation as a, rule 
is provided soon after the projects are well under 
v ^y* &H irrigation enterprises, whether under¬ 
taken by public or private.capital, the question as to 
the lands themselves have been found to be relatively 

v/ 

simple, not involving unusual.. difficulties, as there 
have been few insurmountable obstacles yet encountered 
either in the way of subduing the soil or in the 
extremes of climate in the arid portions of the United 
States. It is, therefore, not necessary to devote to 
the subject of the lands more study than is required 
by usual practice." 

* * * ****** 


"10. The Census figures show that the average 
gross income from farms of ISO acres or less have been 
under $1000. or less than $50 per acre. This amount 
does not include the food consumed by the family, nor 
the item of rent which is covered by the ownership of 
the lend. There are, of course, many farmers who are 
receiving a larger income and others far less, but 
taking the average of all farmers of the United States, 
we cannot go far astray on considerations of the 

amount required for the support of a family."' 

********* 


"14. The character of crop and of cultivation is 
fixed largely by the area of the farm, and the financial 
means of the owner. If, for example, the farmer has a 


-183- 








\ 




























1 imited area of say 40 acres, as is the cass on flic 
Huntley project in Montana, he must produce a relative- 

4 

ly valuable crop and for success must concentrate his 
energies on some special item as, for example, sugar 
beets* In other projects, he must raise perhaps a] - 
falfa, and feed this to dairy cows or practice some 
other form of intensive agriculture." 

"15. newcomer t o an i rrig ated area rarely 

has adequa t e capital to imp rove a large farm and gejb 
it into pr od uctive capacity. The smal 1 amou nt of meney 
which he does have is usually expended in making first 
payment, or securing possession of an area so large 

that he cannot make a second payment nor put the 
ground in proper condition fo r crop production , He 
scatters his efforts over the entire area of say 80 
acres, whereas, if he had limited himself to 40 acres 
he would have had enough money to really prepare and 
level, perhaps, five acres, and put it in alfalfa," 

"16. As a result, at the end of the first year, 
he has produced a cheap, quick-selling crop, such as 
grain, and the land has not been leveled nor improved# 

On the contrary, the improverishment of the soil has 
already begun or continued. The same thing is true at 
the end of the second year. His necessities have forced 
him to still continue grain farming, and while his 
neighbor with half the area has used some of his time 
and money to put in good shape each year at least five 


-189- 



















, r 4 - 
, i. '• 





























acres of land, the first man is losing his time and 
money and the soil is deteriorating. In other words. 


the large irrigated farm forces the ordinary settler 
into poor and uneconomical methods of farming." 

”17, The determination of the size of the farm unit 
is at the basis of the economic development of a project 
So far as is now known no farm units on an 3 ^ public or 
private projects have yet been set too small. On the 
other hand, the tendency has been almost invariably to 
make them too large, so large in fact that, with the 
small capital available, the farmer is forced to ne¬ 
glect intensive cultivation, even of the home garden, 
and as above stated to attempt the broad cultivation 
of grains with correspondingly diminished chances of 
securing e. livelihood for his family, and with a steady 
loss of soil fertility. Years must elapse before all of 
the surface can be leveled and brought to a hiah decree 

of cultivation and in the meantime the owner is unable 

to keep up his payments for building, operating and 

maintaining the system . This is the largest s ingle 
cause of failure of private projects. " 

******* :|c* 

”19« In short, the principal factor in the agricul¬ 
tural success of any area irrigated either by private 
or public capital is dependent upon the size of the 
farms as originally obtained by individuals. The some¬ 
what arbitrary determination in advance of the size of 

-ISO- 























these farms has brought about an adjustment of crops 
and of methods of cultivation to such a degree that the 
questions of climate, soil, and other physical condi¬ 
tions have become relatively subordinate." 

"23. In the following table statistics from the 
last Census are given, showing, for specified counties, 
the average improved acreage per farm for farms under 
175 acres in size, the per cent of the total number of 
farms irrigated, and the per cent of the total number 
of farms represented by farms under 50 seres in size. 
Improved acreage has been used rather than irrigated 
acreage, as the latter includes wild grass land, while 
improved acreage does not. As defined by the Census 
Bureau, improved land includes all land regularly tilled 
or mowed, land pastured and cropped in rotation, land 
lying fallow, land in gardens, orchards, vineyards, and 
nurseries, and land occupied by farm buildings." 

(Table No. 46) 


States and counties 

• 

:Average im- : 
:proved acre-: 

:age per farm: 
•under 175 : 
:acres : 

Per cent 
of total* 
farms ir¬ 
rigated 

Per cent 

\j O o ol X 

under 50 
acres 

California: 




Fresno 

38.0 

85.0 

65.8 

Imperial 

69.2 

94.6 

2o»3 

Inyo 

43.7 

^ O « 3 

25.8 

Los Angeles 

22.5 

59.0 

76.9 

Merced 

43.6 

7c«o 

53.5 

Orange 

29.1 

70.0 

75.9 

Riverside 

27.6 

80.9 

63.8 

San Bernardino 

23.9 

83,5 

76,7 

San Diego 

32.3 

38.7 

44.1 


-191- 












f\ 






X 





% 









"25, On the Government projects the farms are 
passing through a period of evolution and adjustment# 
Only a small percentage are farming in a ccor dance with 
the practices which experience has shown must he follow¬ 
ed to achieve the greatest returns * It would he a mis¬ 
take in this period to increase the size of the farm, 
as it would tend further to scatter the energies of 
the farmer and encourage him to continue in the present 
practice, which is not the correct one. The irrigation 
farmer mus t practice intensive farming * Owing to labor 
conditions he cannot do this on a large farm »" 

”26. In fixing a farm area in excess of 40 acres 
special consideration should be given to the question 
of farm labor. A d-O-acre unit intelligently cultivat¬ 
ed can be cared for by the owner and his family* An 
80-acre farm will require the services of at least one 
hired man. ,r • 

”27. T oday there is no more difficul t pr oblem in 
the west than that of securing efficie nt far m he l p. 

In fact it m ay be said that this kind of help is not 
to be found . Crops are sown in many parts of the 
west and farmers cannot get help to harvest them*" 

"28. An analysis of results shows that the yield 
per acre from the 40-acre farms averages 35$ greater 
than from those of 80 acres. The whole problem of 
Reclamation is involved in obtaining the maximum yield 
per acre, and this is always promoted by the small 
farm unit." 

-192- 
































.» I 


r c. ,-|'t 


r \-- 













1 • 

i '.J .* 




"39. The evident intent of the Reclamation /ct 
-is to make the maximum number of prosperous homes for 
American citizens. The average man who seeks these 
farms, as shown by the records, has less than Cl,300. 
Only a small percentage has more than $3,000." 


" 37 . 


5 ^ * >t= 


The lar^e farm unit retards 


the 


develop¬ 


ment and cultivation of the land. Settlers on the 
northern and central projects average only about 13 to 
15 acres of reclaimed land per year, so that it is not 
until the third year that the majority have 40 acres 
in cultivation. It is not until the fourth or fifth 
year that the majority get even forty acres of their 
lands to the degree of cultivation which is to be 
followed to make a success of the new farm." 

* * * * * -4c * * sf: 


"41 




In this connection it is interesting to note 


that careful records kept by the experi 
show even higher values for alfalfa fed 
On a number of small herds in Idaho the 
showed that the herds paid in excess of 
for the alfalfa consumed. One herd at 


went stations 
to dairy stock, 
experiments 
vIB. per ton 
Caldwell paid 


its owner more than $33. per ton." 

(Compare with item H Dairying ** Chapter VIII) 

"13. In the arid southwest, with the semi-tropic 
climate, thousands of families are making a rood living 


-1S3 












... I 


% 



















from tracts ranging from 5 to 30 acres, cultivated in 
fruit or vegetables. This practical demonstration, 
which can be examined on the ground by any one, is the 
best proof cf the allegation that a family can be 
supported on such an acreage. To the commonly re¬ 
peated claim that this cannot be done except by bring¬ 
ing the land to a high state of culture it may be answer¬ 
ed that this is true and is the best reason why the 
settler should net be allowed a larger acreage than his 
means will permit him to bring to a high state of cul¬ 
ture.” 

********* 


"46. A recent report from the Yuma Project is as 

follows: 


Analysis has been made of the crop returns 
on this project for the year 1911 arid the following 
are submitted: 


(Table No. 47.) 


Results on 50-acre tract of Alfalfa Hay. 


Cost per acre; Yield per acre 

Keeping ditches clean of 

Bermuda,etc., ‘$5.00 

Water — 5.a*f. at 50<fi 3,50 7 cuttings or 7 tons 

Cutting and stacking 16.00 at $10 on ranch-$70. 

Baling 15.50 

Total $ 37,00 


$70. less $37. equals $33. 


net gain per acre, 


- 194 - 


























































( i a019 


No. 48.) 


Alfalfa Hay and Seed 


Post per acre: 

Ditch cleaning 1-5.00 

Water % 2.50 

Cutting, threshing 

31.00- 


Yield per acre: 


and stacking 


Baling 


4 l/S tons of hav * 

->S-| ^ 

a* ^10. 

1 ten straw 5.00 

215 lbs. alfalfa seed 21.50 


§45.00 


9.00 


037.50 


§71.50 




071.50 less §37.50 equals §54. net returns per acre 
(Compare with item "Alfalfa” Chapter VIII) 

"47. This table covers the combination of alfalfa 
and alfalfa seed, the net returns per acre being §34. 
on the average. It is true that in some cases far 
better yields were received, the maximum being 900 
pounds per acre, but we have used averages as the only 
safe guide in determining the farm unit for the ordin¬ 
ary settler." 

M "There is one dairy farm in the Yuma Valley 

upon which some general costs have been obtained, but 

we could not get the data in any great detail. The 

returns from this farm are shown in Table 49." 

* 

(Table No. 49.) 


Results on 40 acre tract. 


Cost per acre: 


Yield per acre: 


Labor, including care of cows, 
haying, etc.j on 40-acre ranch, 

(total §1500;, per acre . . . .§37.50 Gross...§135.00 


§135.00 less §37*50 equals §97.30 net returns per a 


T> P , 

\j 1 


-195- 




















♦ 




r 








C 





(Taole No. 49 cont’d.) 


Total net returns from 49 acres.$3,900. 

(Compare with item "Dairying" Chapter VIII.) 

"48* On such a farm the investment for cows, barns, 
and other improvements is of course heavy, out the 
returns per acre are not unusual nor excessive and if 
duplicated upon a 15-acre ranch, requiring only about 
one-third the investment, would return about 01,460. 
per year above the cost of labor*" 

"59. Following is the statement of an entryman oh* 
a 40-acre homestead near Powell. Wvomins#! 

+ V >-/ 

'I strived here in December, 1918, with about 
$800. which I put in my buildings, fences, etc* 

The following spring I sowed oats and wheat. 
The land was full plowed in 1909, disced and leveled 
in the spring of 1910 and I sowed 30 acres of alfalfa 
in on the stubble; 3 acres of wheat, l/3 acre in 
garden and 15 acres in oats. 

The first year I secured 58 bushels of oats 
to the acre and 30 bushels of wheat to the acre. The 
crop was valued at $1500. at the price then prevailing. • 
Besides my grain crop I sold a great deal of straw and 
fed through the winter and still have a rood stack left. 

A man going on a place should invest his 
money about as follows: Buildings, $300; fences, 

$100; implements, $300; three horses and cow, $400; 
seed, $50; living at $30. a month, $360.*" 

"60. For the Umatilla Project, Oregon, it is 
stated teat 30 acres is: 

’small for one who is a good farmer and who 
has sufficient means; 40 acres would seem better vet. 

Ho sever, on account of the expense of preparing new 
land, meeting water payments, etc., an area of 40 
acres involves too great an expenditure of money 
for the majority of settlers. On this project units 


-196- 













of about 80 irrigable acres seem to have been in 
greatest demand. I believe in years to come as a 
project settles up the tendency will be for the farms 
to become smaller. In the early stages of a project* 
however* intensive cultivation is out of the question* 
The problem is to subdue the soil* raise what you can* 
and establish a community* intensive cultivation must 
follow this preliminary work. Therefore I believe 
units should be made sufficiently large for general 
farming and some stock raising. Our experience thus 
far indicates that the irrigable area of farm units 
should range from a minimum of about 30 irrigable 
acres to a maximum of 40 irrigable acres#’" 

*****:{;*** 

"35. The concensus of opinion of Project Managers 
as to the desirable acreage for farm units on Reclama¬ 
tion Service projects is as follows: 

(Table No.50.) 


* 

• 

Project' : 

Economical 

From : 

Acreage 

To 

Umatilla* Ore. 

30 

40 

Truckee-Carson* Nev. 

40 

80 

Milk River, Mont. 

40 

80 

Klamath, Ore. 

40 

60 

Orland* Cal. 

1C 

40 

Okanogan* Wash. 

— 

30 

Shoshone* Wyo. 

40 

80 

Strawberry Valley* Utah 

40 

40 

Sunnyside* Rash. 

10 

40 

Huntley* Mont. 

40 



-197- 

















s' 



















' r H19 9 8 4 








' o M 


o *~ 

• • , V * 

’* \ A' 




'+ 4 O* 

5 0 Xf* A «• 

r vf» £> • ' 


‘ * A A> 

* A •Pl»» < 1 ? U A o’VJS&AW'* ,0 

'•* .-A ^ \b 'o.»* A 

A & 0 " 0 •» •'^u A «i'» * v £\. A v .0 

A* V . c° °o A* „• 


> c ” ” ” ♦ _^» « v • * , ”r *vy . o» a -< 5 > - . v.»» . *z* <x. r 0 w o 

V c° °o A •Jssaw. fO fmtmL* °o A ‘b^yl 

♦** ■’o^ ^O 4 <b<r ;VSfK 

,/fP/ v^V V"/ v^V 

v a ♦vster- ^ ,a 4W0 ^ a v *vaK # . ^ a* ^ ^ 

L vv 'f ^ *111% * *JlSife: 

» ,A **b c WmW* -Wo c $«fc A** A */*. 

A V w A * --§W>* V V -w .# v -M* «# *% 


vv , 

° <£V » W «M 

v . A' ^ . <ri$N v A «* 

V*A7?* , % '°. A A 

rv ^ A 0 *&£%?:* o A s\ 
&*. ’^o ? .®lra3»- "b^ 


» •»* 


% v, 

• ^®1: 
r 0 c£ * J ^T‘. o tiy/^AA ® S A’^< 

Sfc K-r^ -» A* V • « 9 < , V- 

y<^' *y %. A iO 7 

Cr . • w # ^ ^ 0 o * * * «£> av # t u . 


70 



vv 


o 
a 

® Cp'"^ 

r * 4? o ♦ A>' ’O. * !( 

■» A <> * V 4 y V* «» 

x>_ 'o. »* A <> " 

^b 4 *Jk c 0>*O *b rt V 

r ^ A .°^A % ^ fp C 


£» * ^rZ/SIKV * 

V 
A 



<w 

♦ 

^b. " ’ Jr *?».*•«•. 

».••- .> v pL}Ly ^ 4 O 

*• ^ % «* * 
0 V«s v 

,‘ ^'V »: v^V 



» * o- V 

0 ^ Ap *' 

C, vT * 

o* ^ 'Yi* °° 

*o,>* A <v '■■^t. *" .(A || ^ 

A °!V^ < . ,, '» <i . ^ y.0^ t.* 1 '®^ ^O A o 

y . *aA^V,A.. ^ C *Vvt^ 2 ?, •» o A * 

^ V^ 0 



Idols' 'T^ r^r^a v 

i<7/%^\>^ • ** 0 A 

. ^CAi 4 <y ,V > 

'o.a A ^ 0^ 

O A * ^ ^ cP P^jY, 

lU A * ^ pjplfl/ 


*♦ a 



A" 


P^*A° \ °o % 

V ap •»••* O- 0%> at >'•£' *> 0 ‘."A'. 

% J> ,vV/)k' ^ A* .‘A'. -?v # A -e. .‘»Qto£'. 

, °bA .Ml 0 , a ' °bA ' 

a v • • * «<r 'o.»* a <b Jr \j, r o •»* a 

■^b 0 ^ • 1 ' * * ^b A c 0 " 0 * Y* A •*•'»-» ^o jy c 

* 10 . -O JO. •^^ElPWw,* -n/7» 


V,* ^ ^f. 

..• ,-v <-. ■ 

A ^ C u V 

■* ^d 4 

r tt $ °* 

A +yuu'* , j a o ^ 

- ^ V A *A'* b. 



AV °' 
a <y ^b °* 

< r«v o 



: ^ 0 ^ 

® < 0 . *\ 

b». * ■vy/////J 7 •» . ■CL > «v» •>' 

^ btf; .* # v *. 

v % *%, <o v f 
^- p o V A A -torA°o 

a VV 0 b ?l''"’'l |b, ** 'J'A * rO^ \W% ^W ° 

^ * Ap®b ■* 0 A 'Crv o vbkb\bf * -A^. - a 

p ^ *■'...' .d*- j. -»• ■' A <■ ‘vH.‘ .o' 

v °o A 4, c 0 ^ 


o » * 14 A <> 

,# V c o'\. 

1 ' *: ^d* .' 

j °<. •- 





* ^ 
n . ^ A 


s* Jy vD **».'l** A’* 

,0 l»ci£:Ao, A .‘^. 


* ‘Ax/Mj? ^ A «<* 

^ 4 • * 1 * A^ c 

O A 

.A ^ V A 


•v A v o^ *> 

V> Vs* V/* V <0 0 »• 0> 

^ %. / .Wv ^ > 't 

■ * ■A^ ,,, b» “* ° A b_ 

^ » A*' °* l, ^^ vJ 4 4 “y ^b 4 V* y< ^b ’ , a - 

* ,(y V *'o«A A <b A ^ 

L & c 0 « o „ A . 1 ' * ^ .- 

^ .a* "c., Hi S& 


o • * ’ 


^ A A ^ c- + A o u V A 
















